Overview

In the words of Gary Barlow, this is my idea of a very nice day out. Located in Dundee's West End, and operational since 1970, this is a pleasant green place to find a bit of peace and admire the beauty of the plants, trees and flowers. Distributed over 9.5 hectares and close to the banks of the Tay, the Botanic Gardens welcomes 80,000 visitors a year between March-October and November-February.

Transport & Parking

The tarmacked car park has four accessible spaces, though there are no markings at the rear of the spaces and forty-four standard spaces. There are no charges for parking in this area, though a £5 donation is requested to access the gardens. There are also two spaces with Type 2 EV chargers, cables are not provided, but the unit appears to be quite aged, and it isn't clear if visitors are allowed to use them. There are bus stops on Perth Road 800 metres away, however, this is up a steep hill. The best method to get to the Botanic Garden is by car.

Access

The garden entrance is up a steep tarmac ramp with no handrails, which is challenging for manual wheelchairs, or those who find inclines difficult. The path levels out at the top. The ground varies depending on where you are within the gardens, but I found the area past the entrance suitable for a manual wheelchair, even with my small front castors. The ground is mostly flat, though there are occasional dips and gouges in the ground that aren't marked. There are small steps in the garden every so often but there’s always an alternate path with a ramp nearby. There are benches throughout the gardens, where visitors can rest and the terrain is suitable for wheelchairs, powerchairs or push buggies. There is a gift shop and reception at the entrance, which I didn't enter but the door opens inwards and is heavy. There is no touchpad or automatic entry. The cafe is just past the car park, up a slight incline and the door is wide enough for a manual wheelchair, although there is a single door and you need to rely on people not blocking the doorway, which opens out. I didn't see any specific accessible seating, but the tables could accommodate a wheelchair if a seat is moved. There is also seating outside of the cafe, but no way to signal the staff from the outside. They offer a variety of hot food, cakes, tea, coffee and soft drinks. I didn't observe an induction loop, Braille or alternative communication formats at the cafe or within the gardens.

Toilets

The following relates to the accessible toilet as you enter the Botanic Gardens, not the toilet within the cafe. There is a slight incline on the way to the toilet block, where you'll also find the standard toilets. The accessible toilet does not require a key, the door is light and opens outwards. From the inside, the door is locked by raising the lever handle. The toilet is small, only able to accommodate one other person. There are grab rails on either side of the toilet, though only a left-side transfer is possible. The flush is located high on the cistern. There is a single grabrail left of the sink, which has a mixer tap with a long handle and a soap dispenser. The hand dryer is wall-mounted and can be reached from a seated position. Sanitary and waste bins are provided. There is no emergency pull cord in this toilet, which is disappointing and concerning from a safety standpoint. Baby change facilities are available in this toilet.

Staff

The staff in the cafe were nice, quick to help and opened the door to let me in. I ordered a tea to go, and the lady put it inside two cups to make sure that I wouldn’t burn my hand.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The Botanic Garden is a lovely place to visit, a welcome break from the hectic city centre and a pleasant place for a picnic. Some clear markings where the terrain changes and an emergency pull cord in the accessible toilet would be great improvements.

Photos