Work has now begun on a 16 million pound visitor centre at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden.

The building will include a glass wall to give visitors the impression of being outside in the garden and will be a sustainable structure with wind turbines, a biomass boiler and rainwater collection.

Due to open in spring 2009, the centre will combine permanent and temporary exhibitions and hands-on demonstrations, as well as displays from archived collections, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin. Entry to the centre will be free.

For further information telephone 0131 248 2937