Heritage Trail

8. The Lawn

The Lawn is one of the delights of the campus. Students and visitors are always surprised to find this tranquil haven so close to the centre of the campus. The Lawn that you see today is a remnant of the 18th century gardens of Riccarton House. The areas surrounding the Lawn are botanically very interesting and the bank of Rhododendrons on the North side of the Lawn forms a stunning backdrop in early summer.

A plant that can be found in the Lawn area is Fuchsia magellanica ‘Riccartonii', a hardy plant which was raised by James Young in the 1830s at Riccarton. Fuchsias were introduced to Britain by Victorian plant collectors from Chile, where the coastal climate is similar to our own. The Lawn and Central Woodlands area hold the Keep Scotland Beautiful Green Flag Award.