Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo sits on 33 hectares of south-facing slopes in the Corstorphine area, just west of the city centre. Established in 1913 by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, it overlooks Edinburgh from the lower slopes of Corstorphine Hill. The zoo was designed to give animals more space than the iron-barred cages of the Victorian era, drawing on the open layouts of Tierpark Hagenbeck in Hamburg. Its grounds include one of the most varied tree collections in the Lothians. Over 600,000 people visit each year, making it one of Scotland’s most popular paid attractions. The zoo has pioneered animal care and conservation since its earliest days. In 1914 it became the first zoo anywhere to keep penguins, and in 1919 its king penguin chick was the first to hatch in captivity outside the South Atlantic. The accidental penguin parade of 1950 became a daily highlight until it stopped during the COVID pandemic and later avian influenza. Edinburgh Zoo also housed Britain’s only Queensland koalas and, until December 2023, the UK’s only giant pandas, Yáng Guāng and Tián Tián. Inside the zoo, visitors follow paths past a range of habitats. The Budongo Trail shows a troop of thirteen chimpanzees in a building with viewing galleries and displays about their social lives. Penguins Rock holds 1.2 million litres of water for gentoo, king and northern rockhopper penguins. Magic Forest displays small rainforest species, while Wee Beasties presents blue poison dart frogs and axolotls. Nearby, Koala Territory and Wallaby Outback let guests walk among eucalyptus-fed koalas and kangaroos. Daily Animal Antics shows let keepers demonstrate natural skills through positive reinforcement training.