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Edinburgh's Castle of Light event cancelled after six years

Rob McDougall Edinburgh Castle is lit up in red lights. the front gate is lit up in a blue light with white markings that resemble cave markings.Rob McDougall
The event has been lighting up the castle since 2019

A huge light show which has run at Edinburgh Castle for six years has been cancelled, it has been announced.

The Castle of Light event has been held over the festive period since 2019 and has brought in more than 200,000 visitors, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

It said the event required a lot of planning and money and was also highly weather-dependent with high winds and storms causing cancellations in previous years.

The organisers said all these factors combined meant it was no longer sustainable for them to run the event.

Rob McDougall Part of a castle is light up red with an image of a Christmas tree being projected onto it.Rob McDougall
The event took place over the festive period

HES have said that by cancelling the event they would be able to invest in improving their festive events at the castle including brand new decorations, family activities and their Christmas afternoon teas.

A statement said: "This decision is about ensuring that the events we deliver are sustainable, represent value for the public, and that we use our resources in the most responsible way."

Rob McDougall The front gates of a castle has a blue and purple pattern projected onto it. The projection resembles snowflakes and ice shapes.Rob McDougall
Each year the event features a different unique theme to light up the castle with such as Fire and Ice or Hidden Treasures.

The Castle of Light was designed to be an immersive experience brought to life using bright lights and sounds around the castle walls.

HES worked with Edinburgh designer Andy McGregor and used local production companies including War Productions, Double Take Projections and NL Productions.

War Productions said it was "designed to deliver an enchanting, magical experience for all of the family".

The event had six editions between 2019-20 and 2025-26, but didn't run during 2020-21 due to Covid-19.

HES said Edinburgh Castle continues to be one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions.