High winds force cancellation of Edinburgh Botanics Christmas lights show

The Christmas lights show at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens has been cancelled tonight because of the windy weather.

It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow ‘be aware’ weather warning for today across most of Scotland which includes Edinburgh.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said families who were planing to visit the Christmas at the Botanics event tonight will be offered an opportunity in the first instance to attend on another night.

The spokeswoman added: “Having studied severe weather warnings over the last few days, the difficult decision was taken to cancel this evening’s Christmas at the Botanics event.

“Our first concern is for our visitors and, with the Met Office website continuing to show a yellow warning for strong wind in this area, cancellation – although disappointing for tickets-holders – was seen as the responsible action to take. It was important to avoid the possibility having to turn people away if, as predicted, gusts rose above safe levels and the Garden had to be cleared.

“Tonight’s ticket holders are being informed of the situation by their ticket agents and will be guided through the process of rescheduling. Our staff at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh are also working closely with the event promoters at Raymond Gubbay Ltd to ensure every effort is made to find suitable alternatives for everyone who had hoped to come along this evening. All the details can be found on our website www.rbge.org.uk/christmas and updates can be found on social media.”

One of the star turns at this year’s event is the towering Cathedral of Light, festooned with over 100,000 lights, an immersive installation never seen before in Scotland.

Seventy-metres long and next to the famous Beech Hedge, it allows visitors to walk through a massive “light tunnel” as part of a series of after-dark experiences.

The one-mile lights trail weaves through the Botanics, using the Garden’s natural landscape and historic buildings as a backdrop for awe-inspiring visual effects.

Among the event’s other offerings is a ‘fire garden’ and a Santa show for children along the route.

Visitors can round off the evening’s entertainment with a spiced cider, mulled wine or hot chocolate, and a meal.

The lights spectacle runs for 30 nights until December 29th.

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