Camera Obscura and World of Illusions in Edinburgh is the city's oldest purpose-built visitor attraction: it stands at the top of the Royal Mile, a few steps from the castle, in a tower that since 1853 has housed a camera obscura, an arrangement of mirrors and lenses that projects a live image of the city onto a white table. Below, five floors of optical illusions, light tricks, mirrors and visual puzzles entertain adults and children alike, and the rooftop terrace offers one of the finest views over Edinburgh.
History
In 1835 the optician Maria Short came to Edinburgh with a large telescope and opened a popular observatory. In 1853 she bought a 17th-century house at the top of the Royal Mile, added extra storeys and installed a camera obscura, turning it into the Outlook Tower. At the end of the 19th century the tower was bought by the biologist and town planner Patrick Geddes, who made it a "sociological observatory", a place to understand the city and its relationship with the world. Today the camera obscura still works with its original mechanism, and the tower has become a museum of illusions.
- 1835Maria Short opens an observatory in Edinburgh
- 1853The camera obscura is installed in the Outlook Tower
- 1892Patrick Geddes buys the tower
What to see
The camera obscura
The camera obscura show takes place at regular intervals in a dark room at the top of the tower. A guide moves a mirror on the roof and, through a lens, projects onto a large concave dish the moving image of the streets, rooftops, castle and people strolling by, while telling curious facts and stories about the city. Visitors can "pick up" people on a piece of paper or make them "walk" across their hand: the magic of a centuries-old technology still works.
The World of Illusions
On the five floors below you discover more than a hundred interactive exhibits: the Vortex Tunnel, a rotating tunnel that makes you lose your balance even though the floor is still, the mirror maze, a room where people seem to change height, holograms, light effects, infrared images and optical illusions of every kind.
The rooftop terrace
From the terrace on the roof, with telescopes available, you can see the castle, the Old Town, the New Town, the Firth of Forth and, on clear days, the hills of Fife. It is an excellent spot to get your bearings at the start of a visit to Edinburgh.
A bit of science
The principle of the camera obscura was already known to Aristotle and was studied by Leonardo da Vinci: light entering a small hole in a dark room projects an upside-down image of the outside world onto the opposite wall. With the addition of mirrors and lenses, the image becomes sharp and upright. Before photography, painters used similar devices to draw landscapes.
Practical information
The attraction is open every day, with longer hours in summer and during the Festival. Tickets can be bought online or at the desk; queues can form at peak times. The camera obscura show is best on bright days. There are many stairs. Opening times and prices are on the official website.
Getting there
- On foot: it is on Castlehill, the first stretch of the Royal Mile, a few steps from the castle entrance and about 10 minutes from Waverley station.
- By air: Edinburgh Airport is linked to the centre by tram and bus in about 30 minutes.
Nearby
- Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile; see the castle and the Royal Mile.
- The Scotch Whisky Experience, right opposite.
- The Grassmarket area and the sights of Edinburgh.
Tips
- How long: an hour and a half to two hours.
- When to go: all year round; choose a sunny day for the camera obscura show.
- A tip: do the camera obscura at the start of your visit, then the illusions, and finish on the terrace in the late afternoon light.