Zoo exhibits visitors' free day

Visitors will be able to see Edinburgh Zoo's new Budongo Trail

Edinburgh Zoo is set to open its doors to the public for free for the first time in its history to mark St Andrew's Day.

The Zoo will be joining dozens of visitor attractions as part of the Scottish Government's 'Visit for Free' initiative on Sunday 30 November.

Edinburgh Zoo welcomes about 650,000 visitors a year.

The zoo is urging visitors arrive early on the day to avoid disappointment in case people have to be turned away.

As well as having the chance to see more than 1,000 animals, visitors be able to see the penguin parade and new indoor enclosures such as Rainbow Landings and Budongo Trail.

David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which owns Edinburgh Zoo, said: "We are really pleased to be part of the St Andrew's Day celebrations and the 'Visit for Free' initiative is a wonderful opportunity for us to show visitors how much we have achieved in the last few years.

"As a charity we are taking a risk by having a free day but it's a chance to welcome members of the public that perhaps haven't been for a while or have never been at all.

"We're anticipating that we will be quite busy so we recommend that people arrive early to avoid disappointment in case we reach our maximum capacity."