Edinburgh's Palm House reopens after five-year restoration project

Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden reopened its famous Palm Houses to visitors on 2 October 2026, after five years of restoration work.

The buildings had been deteriorating for decades and needed major repairs. Workers replaced all 5,750 panes of glass and restored around 600 square metres of ironwork. They also repaired 500 square metres of sandstone. Traditional craft methods were used throughout the project.

Nearly 600 plants from across the world have now returned to the glasshouses. However, one historic palm tree could not be saved. It had grown at the garden since the early 1820s, but it was too large to move, so it was cut down before work began.