Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Well paved wide paths. Good access to both of the glass houses with my scooter. Good access to the tea room and good disabled toilet. Only problem is limited disabled parking spaces. Nice place to visit on a sunny day.

If you are looking to be surrounded by plants and greenery and step out of the Scottish weather into tropical climates, you have to go no further than the West End of Glasgow. There are two impressive glass and metal structures near the main entrance to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens: the white Kibble Palace and the brow Main Range Glasshouse. The main range contains ten different areas with different climates and their corresponding plants. There is a pool in the centre of the flowering plants area complete with tadpoles and the impressive central hall with a towering canopy of large-leafed trees creating the perfect backdrop for a tropical photo shoot. I loved exploring the dense displays of different flowers, bushes, trees (even a piece of a fossilised one!) and cacti and forest bathing in the lush environment, but the relaxation was slightly tempered by a couple of stressful moments trying to navigate the space in my powerchair. If you are visiting the Botanics on a nice day and are looking for a bit of excitement, the greenhouse is a great place for some new impressions, but if you are coming especially to explore the greenhouse, I would recommend choosing a time that is likely to be less busy, such as daytime during the week or when the weather is not very nice.

The gardens are council run and therefore perhaps not as grand as the Royal Edinburgh Botanic Garden, however, we noticed that the beds in the amazing glasshouses where more 'showy' and really impressive. Most paths around the gardens where flat or on a gentle slop, only down by the lake their is a series of steps.