Image © Historic Environment Scotland | Photo: Santiago Arribas Pena
Edinburgh, United Kingdom 2026
High above the Gothic beauty of Edinburgh’s streets and spires looms Castle Rock. Sitting atop this ancient volcanic outcrop is a mighty fortress: Edinburgh Castle. This rugged stronghold dominates the local landscape, a landmark that has stood against hostile elements, and sometimes equally hostile humans, for centuries.
Units
1
Display Exhibition Designer
Qualia Ltd
The castle – memorably described by writer J. E. Smith as looking as if it was “carved from the very stone upon which it sits” – has played a major role in Scottish history, earning the dubious honor of being the most besieged location in Britain. It has lived many lives; as royal residence, military garrison, treasure house, a mint and a national archive. Today, it is besieged only by tourists.
One of the castle’s must-see attractions is the Crown Room, which hosts the Honours of Scotland, the crown jewels that were worn by Scottish monarchs during their coronation ceremony. In a turbulent story fit for a screenplay, the Honours were once hidden away from Cromwell’s advancing forces during the Civil War, and for a time were almost lost to history. But in 1818, the pioneering novelist Sir Walter Scott rediscovered the jewels in a locked chest, and they have been on public display at the castle since 1819.
In 2025, Goppion was commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland to create and install a new display case for the Honours, which comprise the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State with its scabbard and belt. They form the oldest surviving set of crown jewels in the UK, and such an important, high-value collection required exacting conservation and security measures.
We have developed a one-off design glass display case for this project, featuring integrated security systems and environmental controls compliant with GIS standards. The glazing was upgraded to the highest security specification during the design assist phase to guarantee maximum security. The case tapers towards the top, with the cross-sectional dimensions gradually changing along its height, giving it a distinctive and refined profile. Mirrors on the interior ceiling of the case allow visitors to look up and see the jewels reflected from above, offering a second perspective on the collection without the need to move around the case. Incorporated within the base is a fully sealed internal conditioning compartment designed to house humidity-regulating silica trays. Active climate control is housed beneath the plinth to meet the stringent humidity requirements of the collection. Airtightness was tested and certified to AER 0.1.
Image © Historic Environment Scotland | Photo: Santiago Arribas Pena
Ease of access for collections specialists was a key consideration, addressed through pull and slide openings, fitted with magnetic gaskets to maintain airtightness when closed.
Providing an optimal lighting solution was essential to present these historic state treasures at their best. This was achieved through a layered approach, working with specialist lighting designers: within the ceiling, a perimeter-integrated luminous panel runs around the full outline of the case, complemented by a central track fitted with adjustable LED spotlights acting as individual pointers for the objects. At exhibition deck level, four stem-mounted LED spotlights are positioned to illuminate the Sword and Sceptre, while two additional integrated LED spotlights within the primary mounting structures are dedicated to highlighting the crown. A final lighting layer is incorporated beneath the plinth, providing subtle base illumination. The entire lighting system is controlled remotely via a computerized panel, and can be switched off independently as part of the castle's sustainability measures.
After a short period of renovations, the Crown Room reopened to the public in April 2026, and visitors from around the world can now admire the Honours of Scotland in a new, state-of-the-art upgraded setting.
