Fusing Scotland’s fierce spirit with its frozen beauty, Edinburgh and Scotland rugby stars Matt Currie, Adelle Ferrie and Merryn Gunderson took centre stage on the esplanade to ignite this year’s walking trail, triggering a dramatic eruption of light across the Castle walls.
Marking the start of a seven-week run for the UK’s largest annual projection show, Castle of Light: Fire and Ice will now transform the iconic fortress into an immersive world where ancient stories blaze to life after-dark, on select evenings until 4 January.
Matt Currie said:
“It’s genuinely a massive honour to be here tonight and to play a small part in officially switching on the lights for Castle of Light. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, and seeing it lit up with these spectacular projections and stories is truly special.”
Adelle Ferrie said:
“Being up here on the esplanade tonight, seeing the buzz and excitement, really brings home how much this event means to Edinburgh. For us as players, getting to be part of such a great event that connects with the wider community is fantastic. It’s an amazing way to shine a light on what makes Edinburgh so unique. We’re incredibly proud to play our part in launching something that adds so much magic to the city’s winter calendar.”
Created by a consortium of Scotland’s leading digital and visual artists, in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, Castle of Light continues to be a highlight of Edinburgh’s winter calendar, drawing families, friends and visitors eager to see the Castle in a breathtaking new light.
Returning for its sixth spectacular season, guests are invited to wander through an awe-inspiring tapestry of storytelling projections, with dazzling installations and atmospheric sound displays shaped by the enchanting forces of fire and ice. From a dragon sweeping across the night sky to the Ice Queen gliding through the Great Hall, audiences will be captivated by mythical creatures, powerful storytelling and cutting-edge visual artistry.
One of this year’s most innovative moments is the dramatic reimagining of the ancient epic poem, Y Gododdin. Rather than using animation, the creative team collaborated with renowned Edinburgh-based artist Maria Rud, who painted her interpretation of the tale live in real time. With every brushstroke projected onto the rock face, Maria’s hands - and even her hair - become part of the artwork, making the creation as mesmerising as the story itself. The result is a raw, expressive performance that brings the ancient warriors of Y Gododdin vividly to life while providing a striking contrast to the high-tech digital installations seen throughout the Castle elsewhere on the trail, making it an early standout of the 2025 show.
Alastair Young, producer of Castle of Light, said:
“This year’s story celebrates Scotland’s resilience, forged in fire, shaped by ice, and to see audiences respond with such awe and excitement has been hugely rewarding. Whether people joined us for the very first time or returned for another adventure, the reaction so far has been phenomenal.”
While taking in the spectacular light and sound displays, guests savoured winter drinks, indulged in treats from the street food vendors and toasted marshmallows by the fire pit, adding to the atmosphere of the crisp November weekend.
Kit Reid, Head of Experience at Historic Environment Scotland, added:
“Castle of Light: Fire and Ice has arrived with extraordinary energy this year. Watching the Castle come alive as thousands of visitors explored its fiery origins and icy transformations has been incredible. The opening weekend set the tone for what promises to be our most atmospheric and enchanting trail yet.”
The event runs on select evenings from 21 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, with ticketed entry slots every 15 minutes between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. The last entry is between 7.30pm and 7.45pm, with the event closing at 9pm. A special reduced-capacity ‘quiet night’ will also take place on Sunday 7 December, offering a calmer experience with softer lighting, lower sound levels and no smoke effects.
To celebrate St Andrew’s Day, a special £10 ticket offer will be available for entry on Sunday 30 November, with pre-booking encouraged as tickets are selling fast.
For more information and to get your tickets, visit www.castleoflight.com. Advance booking required.
About Castle of Light
Dates: Castle of Light will run every Friday and Saturday, starting on Friday 21 November 2025 until Sunday 4 January 2026, apart from Friday 26 December. The event will also run on Sunday 7 December, Sunday 14 December, Sunday 21, Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 December, Sunday 28, Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 December, and Sunday 4 January.
A quiet night will take place on Sunday 7 December.
Time: Timed entry from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, last entry between 7.30pm and 7.45pm. The event closes at 9pm. It is suggested that visitors allow around 60 minutes to fully experience the show but they can take as much or as little time as they like.
Cost:
Adult (16-64yrs) £24; Concessions (65yrs+) £19; Child (7-15yrs - must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+) £15.
Family tickets and HS Member discounts are also available.
St Andrew’s Day (30 November 2025) tickets £10. This price is for one-night-only and subject to availability.
Tickets are available at www.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.
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, Abbotsord Trust, The Queen’s Gallery at Holyrood House and Drambuie Distillers.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance. We are also the lead on delivering Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
- Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.
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