Last week I went to another of Edinburgh Zoo‘s Zoo Nights – after hours access for adults only with extra food, drink and entertainment. As with the one I went to last year it was a fantastically organised night and we did enjoy a cheeky tipple, but the highlight was the Dinosaurs Return exhibition.
Neatly coinciding with the release of Jurassic World, the Dinosaurs Return exhibition features realistic and almost life-size animatronic dinosaurs. It features well known dinos like the Triceratops (top) and lesser known beasts such as the… er… whatever the above one is called! Sorry!
The Parasaurolophus had a whole nest of hatchlings – so cute! The zoo had gone to the extra effort of making sure that the plants used in the exhibitions were as close as they could get to what the animals would have really had. I think that was such a great touch, especially for a temporary exhibition.
Our Canadian friend who was with us was excited to learn that there was a Canadian dinosaur there – the Edmontonia. The zoo also gave information on similarities to non-extinct animals, the obvious comparison here being an armadillo.
The T-Rex was always going to be the star of the show and this one looked awesome! Even if it didn’t have feathers.
It was also pretty fun to run around taking #SelfieSaurus pics.
I really recommend heading down to Edinburgh Zoo before 1st November to check out the exhibition. It’ll go down a treat with all kids – young and old! It by far exceeded expectations and if I was still in Edinburgh I’d definitely go again before it closes.
Not a dinosaur, but a bonus pick of one of the adorable penguin chicks at the zoo. As if you need another reason to visit!
As you probably know, I’m a big fan of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. One of the great things is the pop-up, free events such as exhibitions. This year there are two that stand out.
Suspended from the Grand Gallery roof of the National Museum Scotland, Pisces is an epic feat of balloon art. Hackenwerth’s inspiration came from the legend of Eros and Aphrodite who disguised themselves as intertwined fish – the namesake Pisces. The 10,000 balloons spiral downwards, a giant open maw hovering above your head, invoking the myth of the Leviathan and the mysterious creatures of the deep. Pisces is complemented by exhibits around deep-sea exploration, including the Falcon, a remote operated vehicle. 
Not sure I would have named a sea-faring camera after a bird by hey-ho.
Playful, mesmerizing and awe-inspiring, Pisces is an exciting additional to an already fantastic museum. It is on display until 14th April so don’t miss it!
This year, the annual outdoor exhibition at St Andrews Square looks at the beauty of naturally occurring patterns, colours and shapes. Each subject is wonderfully photographed and accompanied by an explanation of the occurences, as well as often explaining how the photograph itself was taken.
Each stand is double-sided so I’d recommend that you give yourself a good half hour to fully experience the whole exhibition in one, or if you’re a regular to that part of town, it also lends itself well to dipping in and out of. And don’t forget to wrap up warm since we’ve been seeing a lot of the above pictured snowflakes!
