Parks and Gardens
In late 1823, George Lauder, described as a "farmer of Inverleith Mains", agreed with James Rocheid of Inverleith to a reversion of part of his leasehold lands, 11.5 Scots acres, for the site of the Royal Botanic Garden, which had formerly been located on Leith Walk. Commonly known as "The Botanics", the new site was opened in May 1824, comprising a large and varied set of gardens or parks with a wide range of plants, from around the world, in the open and in greenhouses. There is a Chinese themed garden, an extensive landscaped rock garden, a large palm house, and since its opening in July 2006, home to the official memorial of the life and legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, officially opened by HM The Queen. It is maintained as a very popular tourist attraction, local leisure amenity, and scientific research centre.
Inverleith Park, also once part of Inverleith Mains and adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, is large and includes allotments and a well maintained pond, popular for use by model boat enthusiasts and well populated with water birds and occasionally Kingfishers. The Park also the site of French Boule (Petanque) Competitions. Cricket, Rugby and Football Matches are played by amateur enthusiasts. There are popular Tennis and Volleyball Courts maintained by Edinburgh Council and a safe play area for toddlers. The park is very popular wiith families living in nearby areas and also people from outside of Edinnburgh coming in for a view-filled walk.
Read more about this topic: Inverleith
Famous quotes containing the words parks and, parks and/or gardens:
“Perhaps our own woods and fields,—in the best wooded towns, where we need not quarrel about the huckleberries,—with the primitive swamps scattered here and there in their midst, but not prevailing over them, are the perfection of parks and groves, gardens, arbors, paths, vistas, and landscapes. They are the natural consequence of what art and refinement we as a people have.... Or, I would rather say, such were our groves twenty years ago.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Towns are full of people, houses full of tenants, hotels full of guests, trains full of travelers, cafés full of customers, parks full of promenaders, consulting-rooms of famous doctors full of patients, theatres full of spectators, and beaches full of bathers. What previously was, in general, no problem, now begins to be an everyday one, namely, to find room.”
—José Ortega Y Gasset (1883–1955)
“Have We not made the earth as a cradle
and the mountains as pegs?
And We created you in pairs,
and We appointed your sleep for a rest;
and We appointed night for a garment,
and We appointed day for a livelihood.
And We have built above you seven strong ones,
and We appointed a blazing lamp
and have sent down out of the rain-clouds water cascading
that We may bring forth thereby grain and plants,
and gardens luxuriant.”
—Qur’an, “The Tiding” 78:6-16, ed. Arthur J. Arberry (1955)