Edinburgh Botanic Garden will host Christmas at the Botanics trail for the sixth year running

With Christmas less than 200 sleeps away, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has announced it will welcome back Christmas at the Botanics for its sixth year.

The annual festive event will once again light up the capital’s night sky with a one mile illuminated trail, running for six weeks on selected nights from November 17 to December 30.

There will be many new installations at the event, one being ‘Aurora’ – a new overhead piece from UK artists ITHACA, which will recreate the stunning Aurora Borealis.

Another called ‘Feathers’, by UK artists Pyrite Creative, will see UV feathers appear to float gracefully in the trees above visitors as they pass by. ‘Floraison’, from the French artistic collective, Pitaya, will take flora and fauna to a new level.

Returning favourites will include the Christmas Cathedral, the Inverleith House projection and the Laser Garden, which will feature rainbow lasers casting beams and thousands of coloured dots across the surrounding landscape.

Kari Coghill, Director of Enterprise and Communication, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said: “We work hard all year to display the fruits of the seasons through our magnificent plant collections. Opening the Garden on a crisp winter’s evening continues to be special as visitors can experience this wonderful place in a very different light – all while enjoying a hot chocolate or toasting a marshmallow with friends or family.

“Ticket sales from Christmas at the Botanics help us to maintain the Garden and continue our work in plant research, conservation, horticulture and education. I look forward to throwing open our gates and welcoming everyone to the trail in November.”