The Botanic Cottage has been moved brick by brick to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from its original site on Leith Walk.
The amazing move and traditional rebuild has resulted in a wonderful new centre in the Botanic Garden for community and education work.
Earlier today some children from Broughton High School met Douglas Bayne who used to live in the cottage.
Picture by Stewart Attwood
Simon Milne, Regius Keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said: “The completion of the Botanic Cottage is such an achievement for everyone involved. It’s taken a lot of grit, determination, skill and commitment to get the building from Leith to Inverleith, and reconstructed, and I appreciate the efforts of everyone who has played a part in bringing it back to life. As a focus for education and community work, the building is a perfect space, and we hope that the groups using it in the years to come will be inspired to greatness by the history in the walls, the glorious setting and the unique craftsmanship around them.”
There will be a public Garden Gala on 30 May to celebrate the opening of the cottage and to give you the opportunity of having a look inside.
If you would like to know more then here is a lovely time lapse video of how they did it!
The project was funded by campaigners, donors and funding bodies including the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Lucy Casot, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “While today marks the end of the most incredible piece of conservation, it also marks the beginning of a new lease of life for this historic cottage. Thanks to players of the National Lottery, it will be a lively, welcoming hub where young and old, many with more challenges in life than others, can be inspired by and learn from these wonderful gardens and collections. We are delighted to have played our part in this project and look forward to seeing Botanic Cottage blossom.”
A former Regius Keeper, John Hope, had the idea that the head gardener needed somewhere to live. It was also used for teaching medical students about botany and horticulture but it was in 2008 that the threat of demolition loomed. The Botanic Cottage Trust then formed a campaign to save the building.
Groups will be able to use the cottage for classes, workshops, demonstrations, talks and meetings.
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