Western General Hospital

Find out more about the Green Health projects and activities that are taking place on site

The Western General Hospital is an acute hospital with a range general and specialist services. The grounds and gardens are made up of network of mature trees and small greenspaces that provide a respite from the busy hospital and a home for nature.

The hospital has around 570 beds (including day beds) and is home to the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit, and the award-winning, nurse-led Minor Injuries Clinic. A new state-of-the-art Renal Dialysis Unit and the Edinburgh Haematology Centre also occupy the site, both of which were enhanced by funding and Art and Therapeutic Design Project collaborations between NHS Lothian and NHS Lothian Charity.

Working together with staff on site, we support the delivery of Green Health solutions that help improve health and wellbeing and increase biodiversity on site.

Explore the Western General

Here are just a few of the greenspace you can find around the site:

  • FACE Garden – This garden provides a place to breathe just a stone’s throw from the busy outpatient services. The water feature and natural planting create a soothing environment and food for birds and bees. It is a place to stop and rest. 
  • Amanda’s Garden – Surrounded by mature trees, this is a haven from the hustle and bustle of the hospital. With lots of seating, it is an ideal place to take a break surrounded by nature in a calm and tranquil environment.
  • Maggie’s Garden – The friendly welcoming garden at the Edinburgh Maggie’s Centre is open to all and is full of colour all year round. The garden is an extension of the kitchen table to allow people to sit outside and connect with each other. 
  • Royal Victoria Building Garden – In the heart of the Royal Victoria Building, the garden overflows with ox-eye daisies in the summer months. Important pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths and insects love these large wild flowers.

Click on the image below to download our Wildlife at the Western map

As you explore the grounds, why not take a listen to our guided mindful walk through Amanda’s Garden. Just click on the play button below:

Discover walking routes from the hospital with the Go Jauntly

Find new walking tours based on your location. Simple photo guides help you navigate while nifty tips point out things of interest. Sign up to walking challenges or enjoy green routes from A to B or circular walking routes. Take pictures, add details that other people may find useful and share with the growing community.

Download the App
4 people walking along a path holding tea mugs

What’s happening on site

Mary, Nature and Wellbeing Officer smiling at the camera stood in front of trees wearing a denim jacket and yellow bag

Nature Connections at the Western General: Meet, Mary,…

We are launching the next phase of our Nature Connections Project, in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). As we launch the 2024 stage of the project, we are excited to introduce Mary, our new RSPB Nature and Wellbeing Officer at the Western General Hospital.
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A patient picks up a shell from a box

Nature Prescriptions at the Western General

We have worked in partnership with the RSPB Scotland on a pilot project to deliver Nature Prescriptions to patients and staff and support the health of people and nature at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
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Wildlife at the Western

Our Wildlife at the Western project brings together the beautiful outdoor spaces that surround the Western General. From gardens to pollinator patches, you don’t need to go far to experience the nature on the doorstep of the hospital.
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Green Health News from the Western General

Bringing Nature to the Western General

NHS Lothian Charity’s Green Health programme and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have completed a 7-month pilot project at the Western General Hospital, aiming to integrate nature prescriptions into healthcare practices.
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FreeAgent volunteers stood in the FACE garden

Volunteers Restore Garden for Cancer Patients at Weste…

Working with volunteers from FreeAgent and our partners, The Conservation Volunteers, we have restored the Fight Against Cancer Edinburgh (FACE) garden at the Western General Hospital. This has created a space where patients, staff and visitors can get fresh air and connect with nature. The garden is now more relaxing and restorative.
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Connect to our network to learn and share

If you feel passionately about the benefits of nature and their potential in addressing health inequalities, join our Green Health Network. All you need are a few good ideas, a little time to spare and a willingness to be involved with promoting and supporting green health activities across the Lothians.

Join our network