The Archivists’ Garden – A Peaceful Spot

Both General Register House and New Register House are familiar sights to Edinburgh locals, even if those who pass remain unaware of the many treasures held within. Housing the archives and public services of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), these buildings give access to a rich store of records relating to all aspects of Scottish life. Nestled between them remains one of the surprising secret spots of Edinburgh, the Archivists’ Garden.

Reflecting the work of NRS, this garden houses 58 different plant species, each connected in some way to Scotland’s history, whether through myth and folklore, heraldry, or association with individual famous Scots.

For example, standing sentinel along the back wall are the apple trees, ‘James Grieve’ and ‘Worcester Pearmain’. ‘James Grieve’ is the namesake of a respected Edinburgh nurseryman and plant hybridiser born in Peebles c.1840.

Working at a nursery from an early age, he became an apprentice at Stobo Castle before moving to Edinburgh to breed hybrid pansies for Messrs. Dickson and Co. Setting up his own nursery business with his two sons, he specialised in violas, pinks, carnations and top fruit, especially Apples.

However, the inclusion of this Apple Tree is not only rooted in Grieves, the Apple itself has featured in rituals and mythology since the Ancient Egyptians, when they were used as temple offerings. To Celtic peoples, the tree represented everlasting life and knowledge; Merlin is said to have taught under an Apple tree; and in Christianity it has become tied to the story of Adam and Eve and the artistic rendering of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Traditionally, many cultures planted apple trees to celebrate the birth of a boy (for girls, a pear tree); would this not be a wonderful tradition to bring back?

Robert Burns, Scotland’s most well-known poet, features in the garden through Cowslips, Primroses and Roses, a few of the plants touched upon in his poetry. A tenant farmer from Ayrshire who came to prominence through the publication of his poems in the 1780s, NRS hold records relating to his birth, his short career as an exciseman, his public rebuke before the Kirk Session for his irregular marriage to Jean Armour and more.

Plants are twined through our lives in stories and cultural practices dating back hundreds of years. They are essential to our survival providing food, medicine, as well as inspiration to artists and town planners alike.

“By leaves alone we live. Some people have strange ideas that they live by money. They think energy is generated by the circulation of coins. Whereas the world is mainly a vast leaf colony, growing on and forming a leafy soil, not a mere mineral mass: and we live not by the jingling of coins, but the fullness of our harvests.”

Patrick Geddes

The Archivists’ Garden celebrates these connections, and a new resource makes it widely available to the world, online.

A digital scan of the garden has created a virtual version that allows visitors to explore the space remotely. Similar to Google street view, you can move through the space and click upon the ‘plant tags’ – depicted as circular dots – to explore why individual plants have been included.

The Archivists’ Garden, accessible online. Click on the circular dots to find out more about the plants and surrounding buildings.

Each of the ‘tags’ will provide you with further information about each plant, why it was selected and its connection to Scottish history and life.

This virtual map, as well as further information about all of the plants and their records are available to view on the NRS website: www.nrscotland.gov.uk/garden.

Jocelyn Grant

Archivist