Edinburgh Dungeon 2008
Hidden deep beneath the streets of Edinburgh, one of the true jewels in Merlin Entertainments’ crown waits for those brave enough to venture inside. A mixed team of HA adventurers visited the Edinburgh Dungeon as a part of Haunted Attraction’s tour of the Scary Scottish City.
Having visited the London Dungeon several times over the past year, when the chance to visit its Scottish counterpart came around, it was too good an opportunity to miss.
The entrance to the attraction is a heavily themed stairway leading down into what feels like the vaults of the city, with hidden surprises in the detailed decor ready to catch the more observant by surprise. Typically, there is a nice photo opportunity for waiting guests to take advantage of, before being herded into what can accurately be described as a holding cell. Now this is in reality just another queue, but, with signs and posters to keep the guests engaged (did you know it still is illegal in Scotland to be drunk in possession of a cow or to refuse someone permission to use your commode?) it actually feels like the attraction has begun. After a not-uncomfortable wait, we were addressed by a member of staff who ran through the usual list of rules and regulations before the area plunged into darkness and an actor appeared with some good effects, and the fun began in earnest. So far so good, but the appearance of the staff member did lessen the impact of the actors’ entrance, and, as the same list of rules was to be repeated again just a few minutes later, on reflection it’s removal could make the opening that bit stronger.
From here-on, it would be cruel to ruin the surprises by listing each section of the attraction in too great-a detail, but, it is safe to say that the Courtroom and Doctor sections that often receive dubious responses in the London attraction are given a more considered treatment here, and as such are far more entertaining. The Torturer also makes an appearance, with the same script and general approach as its sister down south- which does lead you to believe that the stock-scenes that are now used in the dungeons en-masse are the weaker elements- as those which were unique to Edinburgh are the ones which really make it stand out.
From meeting William Wallace to the spirits of Edinburgh’s most famous plague victims, the local sections of the attraction excel in combining entertaining narratives with strong and at times impressive special effects. Ghosts appear and then vanish again into thin air- sounds, noises, rattles and sudden unexpected black-outs keep the audience very much on their toes- and impressive performances by the acting team, particularly the cloaked woman who hosted the plague-ridden street, create some genuinely scary moments which help raise this attraction above its peers.
You do, in all honesty, have to try quite hard to find faults in the Edinburgh Dungeon, and even those that are worth mentioning do not detract from the genuine enjoyment of the experience. For argument’s sake, it can be noted that whilst the performers were all very enjoyable and engaging, one of the young men did seem to think his own personal brand of improvised comedy was better than his actual script, which did jar at times with the group, and the very talented ‘wee lassy’ (get me- I sound like a native) who played the cannibalistic family member was at times difficult to understand through her rich local brogue, but this is almost a moot point when considered alongside how truly captivating her character and story became.
The weakest section was by far the Doctor’s surgery, which, although tied into local history far better than its London counterpart, still failed to live up to the standard of the other stories, and as such had a noticeable effect on the audience. Equally, the Torturer section was quite amusing, but as the final part of the attraction it did seem quite an anti-climax. An addition such as the Extremis ride in London would be welcome just to create a sense of finality here.
All that aside, this often overlooked attraction has proven itself to be a real hidden gem, and as such is a must-see for visitors to the city. Scarier than the London Dungeon, yet still suitable for even younger family members, the Edinburgh Dungeon could well be described as a perfect example of interactive family entertainment, and even seasoned visitors to the other Dungeons around the UK will still find enough new and exciting elements here to make the trip worthwhile.
Having visited the London Dungeon several times over the past year, when the chance to visit its Scottish counterpart came around, it was too good an opportunity to miss.
The entrance to the attraction is a heavily themed stairway leading down into what feels like the vaults of the city, with hidden surprises in the detailed decor ready to catch the more observant by surprise. Typically, there is a nice photo opportunity for waiting guests to take advantage of, before being herded into what can accurately be described as a holding cell. Now this is in reality just another queue, but, with signs and posters to keep the guests engaged (did you know it still is illegal in Scotland to be drunk in possession of a cow or to refuse someone permission to use your commode?) it actually feels like the attraction has begun. After a not-uncomfortable wait, we were addressed by a member of staff who ran through the usual list of rules and regulations before the area plunged into darkness and an actor appeared with some good effects, and the fun began in earnest. So far so good, but the appearance of the staff member did lessen the impact of the actors’ entrance, and, as the same list of rules was to be repeated again just a few minutes later, on reflection it’s removal could make the opening that bit stronger.
From here-on, it would be cruel to ruin the surprises by listing each section of the attraction in too great-a detail, but, it is safe to say that the Courtroom and Doctor sections that often receive dubious responses in the London attraction are given a more considered treatment here, and as such are far more entertaining. The Torturer also makes an appearance, with the same script and general approach as its sister down south- which does lead you to believe that the stock-scenes that are now used in the dungeons en-masse are the weaker elements- as those which were unique to Edinburgh are the ones which really make it stand out.
From meeting William Wallace to the spirits of Edinburgh’s most famous plague victims, the local sections of the attraction excel in combining entertaining narratives with strong and at times impressive special effects. Ghosts appear and then vanish again into thin air- sounds, noises, rattles and sudden unexpected black-outs keep the audience very much on their toes- and impressive performances by the acting team, particularly the cloaked woman who hosted the plague-ridden street, create some genuinely scary moments which help raise this attraction above its peers.
You do, in all honesty, have to try quite hard to find faults in the Edinburgh Dungeon, and even those that are worth mentioning do not detract from the genuine enjoyment of the experience. For argument’s sake, it can be noted that whilst the performers were all very enjoyable and engaging, one of the young men did seem to think his own personal brand of improvised comedy was better than his actual script, which did jar at times with the group, and the very talented ‘wee lassy’ (get me- I sound like a native) who played the cannibalistic family member was at times difficult to understand through her rich local brogue, but this is almost a moot point when considered alongside how truly captivating her character and story became.
The weakest section was by far the Doctor’s surgery, which, although tied into local history far better than its London counterpart, still failed to live up to the standard of the other stories, and as such had a noticeable effect on the audience. Equally, the Torturer section was quite amusing, but as the final part of the attraction it did seem quite an anti-climax. An addition such as the Extremis ride in London would be welcome just to create a sense of finality here.
All that aside, this often overlooked attraction has proven itself to be a real hidden gem, and as such is a must-see for visitors to the city. Scarier than the London Dungeon, yet still suitable for even younger family members, the Edinburgh Dungeon could well be described as a perfect example of interactive family entertainment, and even seasoned visitors to the other Dungeons around the UK will still find enough new and exciting elements here to make the trip worthwhile.
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