If you’re heading out to East Lothian this October, watch your step – there are dragons on the loose! Trolls, fairies, witches and wizards too, as the boffins over at Vision Mechanics have successfully opened up a portal into a land of magic, and it can all be found at Drummohr House and Gardens.
From the 10th to the 29th October, families can visit the laird’s mansion and, providing they’ve downloaded the Dragon Matrix app onto their smartphone prior to arrival, track and photograph the Augmented Reality (AR) creatures as they help the Dragon Protection League (DPL) to safeguard these magical beasts.
The team behind the event have really gone the extra mile, setting up a plethora of different attractions and locations. There’s a wishing well which will speak back to you, giant flowers which sing when they sense your presence, a network of humongous spiderwebs and a dragon dancefloor where body-rocking dance moves are broadcast onto the side of the mansion itself.
There’s also plenty of lore to go along with the visual feast. In the bus en route from Prestongrange Museum Visitor Centre to the site, the backstory of the dragons is explained in detail, with your mission to locate and log all of the magical beings brought to the fore. There are prizes to be won and dragon food to be sampled – all in a night’s work for the DPL.
Reminiscent of the Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry, the Dragons of Drummohr is a marked step up. Aside from the thrilling experience of chasing dragons, there’s even an educational element regarding conservation and looking after our natural environment. Meanwhile, a project involving local primary school pupils helped to create “dragon scarers” in the vicinity of the House.
The Dragons of Drummohr runs every night (except Mondays) until the 29th October and tickets can be bought online. It’s aimed at the ankle-biters – and they’ll undoubtedly love it – but it’s an enjoyable evening for the whole family.