What do you get when you put a brilliantly arranged persicope and a pinhole camera on top of a tall rooftop in Edinburgh? A ‘Camera Obscura’ of course! This quirky attraction has been around since 1892 and is located right next door to the castle (see map below) in an old Victorian era building called “Outlook Tower.”
I admit that at first I felt a little weird about going to see it since not only was I initially really confused about exactly what it was but also because the ads seemed directed more towards children, rather than people my age. Nonetheless, it was bound to be at least something different to do, rather than going to see yet another museum, so I patiently waited in line, bought my £9.95 ticket, and climbed up the stairwell to the top floor.
Since I was early (the first show wasn’t for another twenty minutes) I spent some time admiring the rooftop views (amazing!) and spying on unknowing tourists on the streets below through the various telescopes stationed around the ledge. There were actually quite a few older people there, so I didn’t quite feel as awkward as I thought I might.
When we were finally admitted into the theatre, myself and about ten other people were seated around a small circular table to watch as we got a special “tour” of the city. The young man who was our “guide” did a good job trying to be funny and enthusiastic, but it was still slightly awkward sitting in a dimly lit room staring at a table with a bunch of strangers. The projected image was even too dark to really see very well, and while I’m sure that back when first invented, the attraction was probably considered pretty high-tech, I honestly didn’t find it all that fascinating.
From the show, I wandered down the steps to see the next few floors below, all housing the “World of Illusions”. Most of these attractions were optical illusions/fun house type things, but still pretty good for a laugh, and a the remainder of the displays managed to hold my interest for another ninety minutes.
I especially enjoyed the giant vortex tunnel and mirror maze, both of which toy heavily with your senses, and are probably the best attractions there.
Overall, the actual ‘Camera Obscura’ was interesting, if a little disappointing, but when you consider all of the fascinating things under one roof, it is a fun alternative to having the typical bunch of historic facts thrown at you by a tour guide in the Old Town, or if you need to find some way to entertain kids (or even yourself) for an afternoon.
The Camera Obscura and World of Optical Illusions is situated on Castehill, right at the top of the Royal Mile.
