Are you looking for something new to do in Edinburgh? It can get a bit boring doing the same things all the time, and you might find yourself stuck for ideas on new activities to try. Luckily, I’ve compiled this list of my favourite escape rooms in Edinburgh to help you discover a cool new hobby. Edinburgh has no shortage of escape rooms, ranging from the fun and lighthearted to the creepy and mysterious. They’re excellent for improving your problem-solving skills (if not take a mate that’s good at this), and more importantly, they’re so much fun! So, what are you waiting for? Keep reading to find the perfect place for your next weekend activity!
Our top escape rooms in Edinburgh for students
1. Escape Edinburgh
Known as ‘Scotland’s top escape rooms’, Escape Edinburgh offers 7 different rooms to escape from. Some of these have a magical, occult theme, such as ‘The Magic Emporium’ and ‘Houdini’s Workshop’. In these rooms, you’ll be investigating mysterious disappearances and sinister trickery. For a more adrenaline-packed experience, you could try ‘Ocean’s Escape’ – you and your friends will take the part of a team of thieves, running a clever heist on a casino owned by a gang of criminals. The different rooms are based at different locations, so be sure to check where your room is located when booking. Some rooms are limited to a maximum of 5 players too.
Address: Multiple locations: 26-28 Morrison Street and 54 Dalry Road
2. Escape Reality
Escape Reality promises that you’ll ‘come as friends, but leave as heroes.’ From the looks of it, it’s sure to live up to its claim: you can take on the roles of a pirate, a master criminal, or a vampire hunter as you race against time to escape your fate. And that’s not all – Escape Reality offers 6 escape rooms in Edinburgh, with a range of difficulty levels to choose from. So whether you’re a master lock-picker or just looking for a quick brain-teaser, there’s something that everyone in your group will like. They recommend starting with a 3 or 4 star difficulty room if you’re new to escape rooms, before moving on to the more challenging scenarios.
Address: 1 Fountainbridge
3. Locked in Edinburgh
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Locked in Edinburgh has been voted as the #1 escape room in the UK, and #13 in the world – how amazing is that!? It’s Edinburgh’s only escape game that’s based in real rooms, instead of purpose-built sets. You’ll be exploring Summerhall, Edinburgh’s old Vet School, where you’ll be able to immerse yourself in history while solving clues and racing against the clock. Together with your team, you’ll navigate the challenges of The Secret Lab, learn about the Scottish space project in The Space Academy, and investigate gruesome murders in The Cutting Room. Because of its unique approach to the escape room genre and its focus on real life history, I just had to include this one in my list of the best Edinburgh escape rooms.
Address: 1 Summerhall
4. Escape Hunt
Escape Hunt offers some of the most unique escape rooms in Edinburgh. In ‘Alice in Puzzleland’, you’ll step into Wonderland to save the Mad Hatter and defeat the Queen of Hearts. For those in the mood for a seafaring adventure, you can take Captain Nemo’s place onboard the Nautilus as you search for the lost city of Atlantis. You could even take the part of a samurai warrior, ordered by the emperor to defeat the warlord Tanaka Masamune.
The possibilities truly are endless, and you’re guaranteed an immersive and adrenaline-filled experience as you race against time to complete your quest. All games last 60 minutes, and most allow children from as young as 8 which is handy if you have any younger family members visiting. But the real charm of Escape Hunt lies in its City Hunt games, where you’ll take part in a city-wide scavenger hunt. These adventures last 90 minutes, and are wheelchair accessible. Would you prefer to hunt down vampires, search for the characters of Wonderland, or save humanity from artificial intelligence? Any one of these scenarios would be perfect for a fun-filled day out with friends, and would give you an experience you won’t forget in a hurry!
Address: Omni Centre, units 3 and 4
5. Department of Magic
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Perfect for Harry Potter fans, Department of Magic offers two escape rooms with a magical twist. In the Prophecies quest, you must collect prophecies to stop the Dark Lord’s rise to power. But in Dark Lord Resurrection, you’ll brew potions to aid his sinister ambitions. Will you choose the side of good, or the side of evil? Department of Magic is a trailblazer in the world of escape rooms – they’ve eliminated locks, codes, and keys, designing the entire story to be driven only by the actions of the players. Their rooms are perfect for beginners, requiring no prior knowledge or experience, and are best suited for groups of 2 to 7. The creativity shown here is really off the charts, and they also have a beautifully designed website – check it out!
Address: 9 Blair Street
6. Can You Escape?
Can you escape Can You Escape? This Edinburgh escape room gives players a choice between two different rooms. If you’re in the mood for history and legend, you might want to go with ‘Operation Spellbound’, where your team will attempt to bring peace to the land of Avalon. This one has two identical rooms available, so larger groups can split up and compete against each other. For the more scientifically inclined, there’s also ‘Operation Odyssey’ – a meteor has hit the International Space Station, and it’s up to you to put it right!
Address: 5 Holyrood Road
7. Escape the Past
This has to be one of the creepiest escape rooms in Edinburgh. You and your friends will ransack the study of a 19th century anatomist to uncover his disturbing secrets, learning about Edinburgh’s history along the way. In 1829, anatomical teaching relies on the dissection of dead bodies – and have there been cases of murder for dissection? You have 60 minutes to find out, solving puzzles in a room rich with historical detail and suspense. Escape the Past are one of the new escape games in Edinburgh and I think they really deserve a mention for their commitment to evoking historical atmosphere. Why go on tours to learn about Edinburgh’s history, when you could experience it for yourself? After finishing this room, you’ll surely never look at the city the same way again.
Address: Basement 1, 25 Nicolson Square
8. Case Closed
In these 90-minute escape rooms, you’ll take on the roles of detectives solving a murder mystery. In ‘Radio Nowhere’, a body is found in the recording booth of a popular radio station. Your challenge is to keep the show running while searching for clues to crack the case. For a more gritty scenario, try ‘The Murder of Max Sinclair’ – the body of Max Sinclair was found in his office, his death ruled a suicide. But you have reason to believe he was murdered to keep him quiet. What did he discover, and how did he die? It’s up to you to find out. Normally, Case Closed runs the rooms on an alternating basis, swapping them each week. However, only ‘Radio Nowhere’ will be run in April to celebrate its release.
Address: 1 Carpet Lane
As this list has demonstrated, there are escape rooms in Edinburgh with all kinds of themes and adventures. Why not go to all of them and see which one you enjoy the most? For other cool activities to try, why not check out our list of 10 unique things to do in Edinburgh?
