Bursting with colour and spectacular illuminations, the Kingdom of Colours theme promises to offer visitors the chance to see the castle in a whole new light this winter. Set to showcase the castle’s stories as ‘defender of the nation’, the historic moments dating back 800 years will be displayed through many thematic zones.
This latest reveal, featuring captivating kaleidoscope patterns on St Margaret's Chapel, teases what visitors can expect from the mesmerising 60-minute walking trail as tickets go on general sale to the public from today, Wednesday 12 October.
Creative Director Andy McGregor, who is working alongside Double Take Projections, NL Productions and War Productions Ltd, in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, on this year's trail, said:
"The countdown to Castle of Light is now on as we bring the community together through an fusion of colour and shared love of the country's history.
Drawing inspiration from kaleidoscope patterns, this year’s projections include a mix of geometric designs depicting stories from Scotland’s past, transforming the castle with light, sound and wonder like never before.
"Showcasing some of the new projections we have in development for this year's event to the pupils from Royal Mile Primary School was a great opportunity to get them excited about history. As they ventured through the castle grounds, the children saw a sneak peek of just some of what the wonderous attraction has in store as it returns to the city for the third year."
Castle of Light will run for six weeks over the festive period, on select dates from Friday 18 November to Friday 30 December 2022. Ticketed entry slots will run every 15 minutes between 4.30pm and 7.30pm each evening, with last entry between 7.30pm and 7.45pm. The event closes at 9pm.
Stephen Duncan, Director of Marketing and Engagement at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which operates Edinburgh Castle, said:
"We’re excited to be back for another year but this time we’re bringing together even more storytelling, music and extraordinary displays to build our biggest show to date.
"We felt it was important that we continued to bring light and joy to the capital during the darker months and while costs continue to rise - with many of us feeling the crunch of the cost of living crisis - we made the decision to cap our ticket prices in line with previous years. We hope that much of the community and visitors to the city are able to experience the wonder of Castle of Light in 2022."
The walking trail is set to provide an unforgettable experience for all ages, with captivating projections telling stories of Scotland's past. HES’s catering partner, Benugo, will be on site each night to offer guests a variety of hot drinks and tasty treats.
Standard adult tickets cost £20, with concession rates, family tickets and discounts for Historic Scotland members also available.
Tickets and more informationAbout Castle of Light
Dates: Castle of Light will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, starting on Friday 18 November until Friday 30 December, excluding certain dates (24, 25 and 26 December). The event also runs Monday 19 to Thursday 22 December, Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 December, and an access night takes place on Thursday 8 December.
Time: Timed entry from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, last entry between 7.30pm and 7.45pm Event closes at 9pm. It is suggested that you allow around 60 minutes to fully experience the show but you can take as much or as little time as you like.
Cost: Adult (16-64yrs) £20; Concession (65yrs+) £16; Child (5-15yrs) £12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Family tickets and HS Member discounts are also available.
Tickets are available at castleoflight.scot
About Castle of Light’s Consortium Partners
War Productions Limited
War Productions Limited has been trading since 1989 and has a strong focus towards the artistic use of digital video.
Beginning as a lighting company, WarPro’s creative bent shifted towards the use of live projection in the very early days of the technology as production company for Orbital, Aphex Twin, Shamen and more. WarPro has specialised more and more in the creative use of projection for an ever growing commercial and artistic client base.
Double Take Projections
Double Take Projections Ltd is an innovative Scottish design consultancy specialising in creating immersive visual experiences using a technique called Projection Mapping. It is a bespoke company, creating unique one-off spectacles, and is able to radically alter the character of an environment or object by projecting from different angles onto a variety of surfaces.
Double Take has years of experience of producing and designing some of Scotland’s biggest Light shows. Double Take is a one stop shop for projection activity, designing content, designing social content and marketing material.
NL Productions
NL Productions is a creative event production company based in Leith with more than forty years’ experience in the industry.
Over the years, NLP has built up a large number of professional relationships across a wide variety of industries based on trust, reliability and a high standard of communication and project management.
Andy McGregor
Andy McGregor has over 25 years’ experience as a multimedia artist, designer and creative director. With a background in music, contemporary art and multimedia design, Andy has consistently worked at the boundaries of design, art, technology and performance.
He has produced work for high profile organisations such as The National Galleries of Scotland, Glasgow Life, Venice Theatre Biennale, Edinburgh International Science Festival, Harper Collins Publishing UK, Abbotsford Trust, The Queen’s Gallery at Holyrood House and Drambuie Distillers.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead public body charged with caring for, protecting and promoting the historic environment. We will lead on delivering Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, Our Place in Time.
- Historic Scotland, Scran, Canmore, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle are sub-brands of HES.
- Historic Environment Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity. Scottish Charity No. SC045925
- View our press pack and keep up to date by registering for media release email alerts. If you wish to unsubscribe, please contact us.
Follow Historic Environment Scotland
Twitter: @HistEnvScot | @welovehistory
Facebook: @HistoricEnvScotland | @VisitHistoricScotland
Instagram: @HistEnvScot | @historicscotland
For media enquiries please contact:
Beth Kennedy / Naomi Cameron
3x1 Group
T: 0141 221 0707
E: hes@3x1.com