I was in Edinburgh visiting the Fringe Festival and thought while I was there I should check out The Edinburgh Dungeon. I had been wanting to visit for a number of years as it was the only UK Dungeon I hadn’t previously visited.

The Dungeon is situated a short walk from the Edinburgh Waverley train station located on the edge of the old and new town.

Once past the ticket office, you are greeted with the usual photo opportunity. It is worth noting however that the energy and enthusiasm from the photographer was superb, really getting into the spirit of things and motivating guests to get a fun scary photo.

The Courtroom

The first room on the tour was the courtroom, a common feature of many Dungeons. This scene while similar in structure to others felt updated and fresh. There were definitely a number of scenarios that I hadn’t seen previously in other attractions. It is also worth noting that this scene incorporated the first of many well-executed impact scares.

Witches Judgement

Within this scene we met Edinburgh’s baddest witch. It was good to see more than one actor working the room. The intensity was high with a lot of action all around. This was a great room to have early on in the experience and I loved the use of special effects really building to a strong crescendo.

The Torture Chamber

This scene was almost identical to other Dungeons. While it was well acted I feel this scene has been around a while and could do with a bit of an update. It’s great for a first time visitor but becomes predicatble after a number of Dungeon visits.

Galloway Boat Ride

From start to finish the boat ride was full of surprises. The whole group entered a single boat which floated into darkness where a number of surprising and effective effects took place. This was exciting and kept the tension high. At the end of the ride the actor really gave the group a good impact scare, leading us to the next scene.

Cannibal’s Cave

This was by far the strongest scene of the whole attraction. Two actors worked so well together making use of the space and interacting with impeccable timing. The use of special effects and hidey holes just added to the experience and left the group not knowing where the actor would come from next.

Anatomy Theatre

This is a scene that is again commonly seen in Dungeons around the country. It was well acted and had a slightly different script (They didn’t love ‘pulling out the bits’). The effects in this scene worked well and the group enjoyed it.

Burke and Hare

This experience primarily used pre-recorded audio which was delivered well with the sound moving around you giving the effect that Burke and Hare were in the room. While this was good I feel the effects in the Sweeny Todd scene at The London Dungeon is stronger.

Mary King’s Close

I was a little disappointed with this scene as I was expecting a lot more to happen. The interactions were good splitting the group up added some suspense but I felt the ending fell a little flat. It felt like some effects didn’t work as they should have leaving the ending a bit lacklustre.

Castle Ghosts

This scene focusses on the story of Mary Queen of Scots. The experience is well-acted with some strong scares along the way and excellent effects around the room similar effects seen in the Alton Towers Dungeon. This feels like it should be a finale scene but we had more to come.

Drop Dead: The Grassmarket Gallows

A small drop tower similar to those in other attractions that packed a punch. This is always a fun ride and this one did not disappoint.

Edinburgh’s Valuts

The final scene as you leave the drop is a mirror maze. Well designed with the group getting well and truly lost.

Overall, I feel that The Edinburgh Dungeon is the best Dungeon in the UK with some entertaining scenes and a surprisingly large number of impact scares which just adds to the enjoyment of the experience. I’d highly recommend visiting if you are in the area and with the experience lasting around 70 minutes it’s easy to squeeze into a busy schedule.

Ashley
Author: Ashley