If you google the phrase ‘health benefits of getting outdoors’, you’ll get about 155,000,000 results, and the consensus seems to be that getting outside is good for you. I am an absolute convert to this way of thinking. I firmly believe that time spent outdoors has a direct positive impact on physical and emotional wellbeing.

But, I also live in Scotland and the weather  has been of late, as the locals say, ‘pure Baltic’. So, dear reader, I decided to cheat a bit at this outdoors malarkey. I found an indoors version of the great outdoors in the form of the Glasshouses of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

The two oldest, dating from the 1800’s, are everything a glass house should be, stuffed with palms, pretty blooms and vintage charm. Given that the earliest structure dates from the days when windows and glass were taxed, it must have been quite the statement piece at the time. And still is a thing of beauty, inside and out.

One of the nicest things about the Glasshouse experience is that it’s like a stroll around the globe. Each glass house represents a different environment, from the tropics to the desert. Over 3000 exotic plants from around the world call this place home.

There is a small charge to explore all ten Glasshouses, but the smaller Temperate Palm House is free. Not to mention, very charming. The Botanical Garden itself is also free to visit and beautiful, even in the grip of Winter.

Being British, the weather couldn’t scare me off completely and I did venture outside… but only long enough to decide that the outdoor garden is better explored in fairer weather and to make a promise to myself that I’ll get back in the Spring. Like I said, its been ‘Pure Baltic’ in this part of the world lately and on that kind of day, indoors style outdoors really is best.

Find all the things you need to know about visiting the RBGE here.