Why it's all a-flutter at new St Andrews tropical experience

The launch of the a new experience over Easter will allow visitors to now take a wander through the Butterfly House and marvel at the variety of different tropical species not normally seen in the UK.

The Tropical Butterfly Experience opened on March 25 and will be open until the end of September giving locals and visitors alike a chance to investigate.

The magical experience begins with a landscaped ‘flight zone’ where visitors will encounter the butterflies flying up close as they fly, feed and get friendly.

James Hearsum said: “They are the stars of the show, and most guests initially just stand and watch in awe. Many family groups then start to work on seeing how many they can find. No one has seen them all yet!”

Panels explaining the journey of a butterfly from egg to flight, and showing the miraculous transformation are dotted around the house.

The gardens aim to have a significant and changing exhibit each summer season to showcase the importance of plants, gardens and the natural world which last year featured the Gruffalo trail.

“This year we want to talk about the insects that pollinate plants and the challenges they face. The butterfly experience is really meant to be a conversation starter that continues through the trails and activities still to come in the garden over the summer,” finished James.

To ensure the team delivers a world class experience for both visitors and the butterflies they joined forces with Luke Brown ‘The Butterfly Gardener’ and house manager at the Natural History Museum in London.

Luke said: “I have seen hundreds of thousands of butterflies emerge but it is still so exciting. This is my first project in Scotland and I am so pleased with how things have shaped up.

“However, I just turn up and get the nice jobs so all credit must be given to the amazing team that have put in the hard work on this project that, in my opinion, is set to be a little gem.”

Set to be a huge attraction over the summer James urges locals to visit early in the season.

“For the summer holidays we will be setting up online timed bookings to ensure everyone who wants to enjoy the experience has the opportunity to do so.”

St Andrews Botanic Garden Tropical Butterfly Expecontinues until September 30.

Garden and the Butterfly Experience are priced at £7.95 for adults and £2.95 for children and students.