Next week will mark 30 years since Inverness Botanic Garden was opened by HRH Prince Edward.

And to mark the special birthday a celebratory event was held on Wednesday (Sep20) in conjunction with High Life Highland (HLH) who manage the Highland Council attraction.

Set within the former walled garden of Bught House, the Botanic Garden has a splendid glasshouse featuring plants from tropical rainforests and arid locations around the world. It also has a carp pond and waterfalls, formal gardens and a cafe.

It was was known originally as Inverness Floral Hall and Gardens.

There was fine food, refreshment and musical entertainment laid on courtesy of Strumness Ukuleles and Gizzen Briggs the Scottish traditional music group based at Tain Royal Academy.

And there was much laughter too and a touch of magic, courtesy of Jamie Thomson and Natalie Gilray of Laughter Yoga, and magician James Clark who entertained with tricks.

And that Laughter Yoga seems to work...

The Botanic Garden's facilities manager Ewan Mackintosh made a short speech of thanks to the guests, and showed of his prowess on the bagpipes by piping in the special birthday cake.

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Guests also had a chance to view the new collaborative photography project titled Living With SMART by Brandon Gunn which is being shown at the Botanic Garden until Monday September 25. SMART stands for Stroke-like Migraine Attacks after Radiation Therapy, and the exhibition documents the daily struggles of living with this very rare and debilitating condition which can occur after radiation therapy to treat brain cancer.

There are only 6-8 cases recorded in UK, and about 100 cases in the world since it was first

discovered in 1995.

Guests were also treated to some fascination archive material from the IHARC with interpretation from renowned historian Norman Newton.

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