This is our tribute to one of the best and the oldest cinema in Edinburgh, The Cameo.

The Cameo is an Edinburgh cinema that started life as the King’s Cinema on 8 January 1914 and is one of the oldest cinemas in Scotland still in use. Since becoming the Cameo in 1949, it has had a tradition of showing art house films. From 1949 onward it has been an important venue for the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It is at Tollcross, and since 1992 has been a three-screen cinema. The Cameo was an independent cinema until 2012, when it was bought by the Picturehouse chain, owned by Cineworld.

Behind a modern shopfront, much of the cinema’s original architectural character remains. It’s instantly recognisable.

The first film shown at the Cameo, in March 1949, was La symphonie pastorale, a rare surviving print of which was shown again at the cinema in March 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the building re-opening as the Cameo. It was also named one of the best independent cinemas in the world by the Guardian. Edinburgh is hoping to one day secure a UNESCO City of Film award, similar to Bradford and Bristol.

If you’ve never visited the Cameo before then please consider doing so, particularly as we come out of the pandemic. It’s a little more expensive than your normal cinema, but in our opinion it’s well worth the price.