It has drawn in more than 200,000 visitors to one of the nation’s best-known attractions after dark – and helped light up Scotland’s capital city over the festive season.
Ancient stories were brought to life around the walls of Edinburgh Castle as it played host to the UK’s biggest annual projection show.
But now the ancient fortress will be plunged into darkness after the plug was pulled on Castle of Light, which had been running for six years.
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The annual event, which combined projections and installations with storytelling and soundscapes, was the first of its kind to be staged at the attraction.
The Scottish Government heritage body responsible for the castle told The Herald the illuminated walking trail was “no longer sustainable”, despite attracting a record number of attendees last year.
Historic Environment Scotland has also blamed uncertainty over weather conditions at the castle for the decision to scrap the event, which had to be called off on four separate days during the 2024-25 run during to stormy conditions.
HES has also cited the “very substantial planning, operational and financial commitment” required to put on the event, which ran for up to eight weeks and used more than 10 locations around the castle.
It described Castle of Light as “the biggest light experience Edinburgh Castle and the wider city centre has ever seen” when the first event, which attracted an audience of almost 33,000, was announced in 2019.
HES worked with Edinburgh-based artist and designer Andy McGregor and local production companies, including Double Take Projections and War Productions, to create Castle of Light.
Mr McGregor said the “unique and extraordinary event” had turned the castle into “an extravaganza of sound, light and bespoke projection”.
Double Take Projections described Castle of Light as “a mesmerising 90-minute journey of light, sound and wonder showcasing the history, geology and mythology of Edinburgh Castle”.
War Productions said Castle of Light had been designed to deliver “an enchanting, magical experience for all the family”.
Six editions of Castle of Light were held between 2019-20 and 2025-26, with the event falling victim to Covid restrictions in 2020-21.
The following year saw the event attract its lowest attendance to date, just over 28,000, while almost 40,000 attended during last winter’s run.
HES said eight days of Castle of Light had been lost due to bad weather since the event was launched, four of which were during the 2024-25 run.
A spokesperson for HES told The Herald: “Castle of Light has been a fantastic part of Edinburgh's winter offer for the last six years.
“But it will not be going ahead this year as we take the chance to explore new Christmas offers at Edinburgh Castle, investing in improving our festive daytime offer with brand new decorations, family activities and our popular afternoon teas.
“Castle of Light has required a very substantial planning, operational and financial commitment from HES teams across the organisation.
“The event is also highly weather dependent. High winds and storms have caused cancellations in previous years, leading to large numbers of refunds, additional staff time, and financial uncertainty.
“When all of these factors are considered together, the event is no longer sustainable for HES and the decision was taken by our executive leadership not to extend the contract for Castle of Light.”
Edinburgh Castle was Scotland’s second busiest visitor attraction last year, with just over two million visitors, behind the National Museum of Scotland in the capital, which had an overall audience of more than 2.3 million.
The HES spokesperson added: “We understand the role Castle of Light has played in the winter season.
“Edinburgh Castle continues to be one of Scotland’s leading visitor attractions, contributing significantly to the city’s year-round visitor economy.
“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.
“We remain committed to working with the council and city partners on future activity, as part of Edinburgh’s wider visitor offer.”
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