Castle of Light:

Projection Mapping & Interactive Installations at Edinburgh Castle

Between 2019 and 2025 Bright Side Studios created projection-mapped and interactive installations for five editions of Castle of Light at Edinburgh Castle.

Commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland, the winter light event transforms the castle with installations by a range of artists. Our work activated Hospital Square and the Castle Esplanade, using projection, animation and interactive light to reimagine these historic spaces after dark.

Projection Mapping on the Castle Esplanade

In 2021 and 2023 we created large-scale projection-mapped animations across the iconic façade of Edinburgh Castle, transforming the Esplanade into an immersive canvas of light and motion.

In 2021, the project featured animations created from drawings by local children, transforming their imaginative interpretations of Edinburgh into large-scale projections across the castle. In 2023, the focus shifted to the city’s magic and mystery, drawing on Edinburgh’s rich history and folklore. The animations were designed to respond to the castle's architecture, using the stone façade as a dynamic storytelling surface visible to thousands of visitors each evening.

Transforming Hospital Square

Over five editions of Castle of Light, Bright Side Studios were commissioned to transform Hospital Square, creating a new installation for the space each year.

Our work explored a range of creative approaches, from collaborating with dancers and capturing their movement to generate 3D motion-capture animation, to conjuring vast snow-formed animals that emerged across the square's architecture.

In another edition, we drew inspiration from Scotland’s artistic heritage, bringing Henry Raeburn’s iconic painting The Skating Minister to life through projection and animation, reimagining the historic artwork within the dramatic setting of Edinburgh Castle.

Each year, the installation invited visitors to experience Hospital Square in a new way, transforming the historic courtyard through light, animation and storytelling.