Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World

Dalkeith, Midlothian__Edinburghshire, Scotland Central & Stirling

Recommendation added: 29/05/2006 18:52
By: HighHopes (YSUK rating +42)

HighHopes has been thanked 7 times for this contribution

"If you're heading to Edinburgh this summer or if you live in or around Edinburgh why not take the kids somewhere a bit different? Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World at Dobies Garden World on the outskirts of Edinburgh and Dalkeith is a great place for budding entomologists or just those that appreciate some of the more delicate and beautiful aspects of nature.

I must admit, the entrance to Butterfly World is not particularly impressive. It gives the impression that the site is small and not that interesting but you can't judge a book by its cover and it'd be a shame to dismiss this little gem straight off as it's much bigger and interesting on the inside than it appears to be.

When you enter you'll find a small but well stocked gift shop with a pleasant selection of items for both children and adults at fairly reasonable prices. For entry to the attraction you simply queue up at the cash register to pay then slip in behind some heavy plastic 'curtains'.

For anyone with physical limitations you will be pleased to know that the site offers several places to sit and rest a spell. Also, the site is very good about wheelchair access though you may need some help manoevering in a few tight spaces. Also be warned, they must keep it fairly warm and humid inside for the plants and wildlife so if you have health concerns please ask the staff before you pay.

Inside you'll find exotic plants in a variety of different 'settings' each designed for different varieties of butterflies. All areas are well sign posted with a lot of intersting information provided on easy to read plaques at kid friendly height.

Probably the most impressive part of wandering through the beautiful botanics is the butterflies fluttering by, often right past your face and sometimes landing on you. This will of course be an amazing experience for the kids but even as an adult I was surprised at how breathtaking an experience it was for me.

Some of the butterflies seemed intent on 'posing' for us and we were able to get some fantastic shots worthy of a photo competition entry even with a basic digital camera and few photography skills.

There is more to Butterfly World than just the butterflies though. If you venture further back you will find an array of different insects, snakes, frogs and lizzards as well as a learning area with books and colouring facilities and other hands on activities.

Your kids are sure to find the black scorpians fascinating as when you put them under a black light they glow an eerie ultraviolet blue colour, as if they'd been painted with glow in the dark paint!

Beyond the creepy crawlies you will find an outdoor butterfly garden with indigenous plants. This is best viewed in late spring to late summer when you will find a fair few 'wild' butterflies enjoying the local flora.

The site boasts snake feeding, workshops, handling sessions and special events so it's worth calling in advance to see if any special will be on during your visit.

It's quite easy to spend a few hours enjoying nature at Butterfly World but your trip doesn't have to end there. Outside you'll find a spacious picnic area as well as a timber childrens climbing frame and slide. I'd recommend giving the children a good long play to wear themselves out before you head into Dobies Garden World which is just across the parking lot from Butterfly World.

The garden center itself is quite large with both indoor and outdoor sections. The indoor section offers a very fine selection of garden supplies, ornaments and furnitures. At Christmas time there is a fantastic selection of baubles etc, not to be missed if you're there at that time. Outdoor there is a wildlife pond with ducks and fish. There are outdoor displays of their stock as well as a huge selection of sheds and playhouses all open for close inspections. Most kids will enjoy playing in the 'wendy' houses whilst you have a more serious look at the garden sheds. There is even a small play park in this area that is visible from the covered outdoor dining extension of the cafe.

The cafe offers a very good selection of food and it's quite tasty though a tad pricey. Kid's meals are on offer but there are such good choices overall that you kids might actually want to eat 'grownup' food. You'll not be wanting for puddings either so be sure to save room for that.

The toilet facilities are very clean and they have excellent disabled facilities available as well. In fact, overall the disabled access to both Dobies and Butterfly World is very good. The only exception being that the garden shed area is gravelled so a wheelchair user would possibly need someone to push their chair if they wanted to peruse the area.

So now you've been fed and done some shopping you think that that's it right? Well, you'd be wrong because this trip wouldn't be complete without a quick venture into the wee supermarket attached to the garden centre.

I would definately recommend visiting this AFTER you've eaten either in the cafe or a picnic lunch on the lawn because if you go in hungry you're likely to buy one of everything!

The deli has a superb selection of goodies and they are more than happy to give you a sample to taste before you buy. The store sells top quality organic chicken and duck eggs (recommended) as well as organic fruit and veg. There are gorgeous wines and beers and plenty of jams, chutneys as well as exotic dressings and biscuits on offer. Also, something I found very good indeed is that they have bulk buy bins and not just dry goods but frozen items as well! You can buy as much or as little as you like, a real boon for those wanting to have a special small dinner party or for something different for Christmas or Boxing day.

The selection is amazing, such gorgeous culinary delights on offer. I admit, some of it is dear but I found a fair few bargains whilst I was last there and heartily snapped them up to savour later at home.

We have been to Dobies/Butterfly World on several occasions and have always really enjoyed it. It's not always the cheapest day out (though it can be inexpensive if you don't do the cafe or shop) but it's a fun and relaxing day that the entire family enjoys.

My recommendation is to come on a weekday if possible and not on Bank Holidays as while there is a good size parking lot it is always quite full on weekends and holidays.

Website:
http://www.edinburgh-butterfly-world.co.uk/

Tele phone:
0131 663 4932

Open all year:
Daily 9.30am to 5.30pm during summer months.
Daily 10am to 5pm during winter months.
Closed 25th, 26th December and 1st January.

Admission:
Adults £4.90
Children* and Concessions £3.75
Family Tickets from £16.
Group and Season tickets available.

*Tourist Information often has brochures with Free Child Admission vouchers in them, It's worth checking with them first.

How to get there by car: Close to the Edinburgh city bypass, off the Gilmerton or Sherrifhall roundabouts. Well Signposted or use multimap http://www.multimap.com/

By public transport: Lothian Buses 3 & 29 let off at the main entrance near the play area. Buses are frequent.

Map of surrounding area:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=331329&y=667467& ;z=3&sv=331329,667467&st=4&mapp=newmap.srf&search p=newsearch.srf&ax=331329&ay=667467"