The world’s longest-running indoor butterfly house is the latest Scottish institution falling victim of pandemic cuts.
Following a temporary closure due to Covid-19 restrictions, Edinburgh Butterfly and Insects World will be permanently shut after forty years of welcoming children and insect enthusiasts.
Dobbies Garden Centres, which owns the site, confirmed the attraction at Melville Nursery in Lasswade will not reopen.
The attraction, which opened in 1984, is thought to be the world's longest-running indoor butterfly house.
It houses hundreds of free-flying exotic butterflies in an indoor tropical rainforest, besides reptiles and other animals.
The Lasswade attraction briefly welcomed pre-booked visits after garden centres reopened last summer, but it was forced to close again during the last lockdown and has been shut since.
In an email to the relative of a staff member seen by Edinburgh Evening News, Dobbies’ CEO confirmed that “exceptionally challenging circumstances” during the pandemic have forced them to close their doors permanently.
Midlothian MP, Owen Thompson, has urged Dobbies’ managing director to save the site.
He tweeted: “Terrible news that Butterfly and Insect World looks set for closure after 40 years. This is a fantastic #Midlothian based resource. I’ve written to the owner of the site requesting a meeting and will do all I can to save it. #SaveButterflyWorld"
Terrible news that Butterfly and Insect World looks set for closure after 40 years. This is a fantastic #Midlothian based resource. I’ve written to the owner of the site requesting a meeting and will do all I can to save it. #SaveButterflyWorld https://t.co/cqYixO8IXW
— Owen Thompson MP 🎗 (@OwenThompson) July 13, 2021
READ MORE: Award-winning Bracklinn Falls bridge to be replaced after just a decade on site
Others have taken to Twitter to express their disappointment at the news.
Edinburgh councillor Mark Brown wrote: “Sad times as Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World is set to close. Hopefully there can be a way to save it.”
Sad times as Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World is set to close. Hopefully there can be a way to save it. https://t.co/D7WSYJQHcB
— Cllr Swivel Eyed Broon (@Mr_Mark_Brown) July 13, 2021
Another Twitter user commented: “Sad it’s closing. Did my work experience there when I was at High School and got to see so much work gets done behind the scenes, was almost a snack for the big boa as well.”
Sad it’s closing. Did my work experience there when I was at High School and got to see so much work gets done behind the scenes, was almost a snack for the big boa as well
— Stuart McLean (@smclean1986) July 13, 2021
https://t.co/wE9oylHRdC
A third said: “Very sad to hear that Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World is to close. All my children held snakes and tarantulas, and fed tortoises there. And loved it, visiting often. I do hope it can find a new home nearby.”
Very sad to hear that Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World is to close. All my children held snakes and tarantulas, and fed tortoises there. And loved it, visiting often. I do hope it can find a new home nearby. https://t.co/SiUD0tNKgj
— Occasional Poetry (@occasional_poem) July 13, 2021
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel