Saughton Park and Gardens - Explore parks

Title Saughton Park and Gardens
Address Balgreen Road
Postcode EH11 3BQ
Telephone 0131 529 7921
Email parks@edinburgh.gov.uk
Opening hours Summer Hours: Walled Garden 8:30am – 9:00pm all week Winter Garden 8:30am- 9:00pm all week Conservatory 9:00am - 3:15 pm Mon-Fri 9:00am - 1:45pm Sat/Sun Winter Hours from September 1st Walled Garden 8:30am- 6:00pm all week Winter Garden 8:30am-6:00pm all week Conservatory 9:00am -3:15 pm Mon-Fri 9:00am -1:45pm Sat/Sun
Facilities Rose gardensFloral displaysWalled gardenGlasshousesSkateboard and bmx parkPlay area, including basket swingToiletsCar parkFootballPlay fieldsCommunity woodlandsSeatingBraille boardsWheelchair access
Background Saughton Park is one of Edinburgh's hidden jewels. It has a large tract of well-managed open space with playing fields and athletics track, the biggest skate board park in Scotland and a modern creative play area. Spread over 34 acres, it also has a delightful formal garden in classic style and featuring the largest herbaceous border in Edinburgh as well as neatly-clipped yew hedges, flower and heather beds, a sunken Italian garden, specimen trees, a glass Winter Garden with exotic plants, a Scottish Physic garden and a rose garden that has won Saughton fame.
History and heritage Saughton Park has had an interesting and varied past. The majority of the area came into Council ownership in 1900 when it was purchased from Sir William Baird. At that time, a nine-hole golf course, nursery and playing fields were laid out. In 1908, Saughton became the site of the great Scottish National Exhibition, opened by HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught. During the Second World War, the formal gardens were turned into onion beds as Saughton helped dig for victory. After WWII, Saughtonhall mansion house, which had earlier been turned into an asylum for the mentally ill, was destroyed in a controlled burning by the fire brigade and Royal Engineers, as it had become riddled with dry rot. In 1984 the Winter Garden was formally opened by Lord Provost John McKay. Most recently, an award winning skateboard park was constructed in 2010 and the entire park has undergone an £8m restoration with funding from the National Lottery, Sustrans and other external, sources. Find out more about https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/saughton-park-project">Saughton Park.
Living Landscape features Floral meadows (annuals)
Visitor information Serviced by Lothian bus route 22, 3, 33, 36, 1, 30.
Public toilets Toilets in Winter Gardens are open weekdays 09:00-18:00 and weekends 09:00 - 18:00. Wheelchair accessible.
Book sports facilities sportspitch@edinburghleisure.co.uk
Organise an event Find out how to organise an event
Getting involved Saughton Park project
Other useful links Help to Bring Back the Bandstand
Green flag Yes
Management plan Management plan
Location map 55.935164057216745,-3.248262405395508
Monuments Sundial
Trees Weeping ash
Image View over lupins to the bandstand