Mary King's Close
Mary King's Close is a historic Edinburgh close located under buildings in the Old Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It took its name from one Mary King, a merchant burgess who resided on the Close in the 17th century. The close was partially demolished and buried under the Royal Exchange, and later being closed to the public for many years. The area became shrouded in myths and urban legends; tales of hauntings and murders abounded.
However, new research and archaeological evidence has revealed that the close actually consists of a number of closes which were originally narrow streets with tenement houses on either side, stretching up to eight stories high. Mary King's Close is now operated as a visitor attraction where guests can take guided tours and learn about Edinburgh's hidden history.
Mary King's Close has had a reputation for hauntings since at least the 17th century. While several paranormal investigations have taken place, it cannot be verified whether the site is haunted or not. It has been pointed out that this particular close ran the nearest of any to the old Nor Loch, a stagnant and highly polluted marsh; biogas escaping into the close and creating eerie lights may have been the cause for these rumours of spirit hauntings. It is also said that the gas escaping into the closes was known to cause hallucinations.
During the late twentieth century, occasional visitor tours were arranged by the City Council.
In 2003 Mary King's Close was fully opened to the public as historic visitor attraction known as 'The Real Mary King's Close', the attraction has consistently earned a five star rating from VisitScotland and welcomes hundreds of guests each day. Whilst at the attraction, guests embark on a journey through time as they uncover streets and houses hidden beneath one of the city’s most famous thoroughfares. Lead by a costumed character guide, The Real Mary King's Close offers a one hour tour taking guests through some of the most dramatic episodes from Edinburgh’s incredible past. The tour tells the real stories of the people who lived, worked and died on these now hidden closes.
The Real Mary King’s Close is operated by Continuum Attractions. Continuum Attractions offers a host of cultural visitor attraction experiences across the UK, from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales to the story of chocolate at York’s Chocolate Story.
Coordinates: 55°57′01″N 3°11′25″W / 55.95028°N 3.19028°W
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