Visitor numbers at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh have hit record highs since the opening of the John Hope Gateway in October.
More than 65,000 people have toured the £15.7m visitor centre since it opened on Wednesday 7 October. The weekend following the opening was the busiest in the Garden's history, with a total of 8,386 visitors to the Gateway over the two day period.
Figures show that the number of people who visited the Garden and John Hope Gateway in October totalled 69,557. That compares with 35,108 visitors to the Garden over the same period last year.
The state-of-the-art building boasts temporary and permanent exhibitions, a Real Life Science studio, Botanics Shop with many exclusive ranges, an outdoor plant sales area and Gateway Restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.
The eco-friendly building, which is a model of sustainability, is helping RBGE engage with visitors and enlighten them about the important role the internationally-renowned organisation plays in research and conservation.
The inaugural exhibition, The Wych Elm Project, features work by 25 craftspeople from Scotland who used materials from a wych elm that was felled in the Garden in 2003. For details visit www.wychelmproject.org
For details about exhibitions and events at the Gateway click here.