The Real Mary King's Close
Beneath the City Chambers on the Royal Mile lies Edinburghs deepest secret a warren of hidden streets where real people lived, worked and died between the 17th and the 19th centuries. Now visitors can step back in time and be guided around these underground closes by a one time resident and witness some of the dramatic episodes and extraordinary apparitions from this sites fascinating and historically rich past.
The Real Mary Kings Close consists of a number of underground Closes (including Mary King's Close) which would have originally been very narrow walkways with houses on either side stretching up to 7 storeys high and dating back several centuries. In 1753 the Burgh authorities decided to develop a grand new building, the Royal Exchange (now the City Chambers). The houses at the top of four Closes were knocked down and parts of the lower sections were kept and used as the foundations for the new building, leaving a number of dark and mysterious underground Closes and ancient dwellings steeped in mystery!
Ghosts are an integral part of the sites varied past and can be dated back to the 17th century through a fascinating account called Satans Invisible World Discovered by George Sinclair. The main aim of this world-class attraction is however, to uncover the very real history connected to this intriguing place. From the newly discovered documentary and archaeological evidence found, visitors are able, for the first time, to trace the lives and accurately interpret the living conditions of the real people who lived in these Closes throughout the centuries
Every year, The Real Mary King's Close holds its annual Ghost Fest, with other major attractions in Edinburgh taking part. See the Ghost Fest website for further information.
Opening Hours
November 1st 2009 - March 31st 2010:
Sunday - Thursday - 10am - 5pm (last tour)
Friday and Saturday - 10am - 9pm (last tour)
April 1st 2010 - October 31st 2010 (excl August)
Sunday - Saturday - 10am - 9pm (last tou)
August 2010
Sunday - Saturday - 9am - 9pm
Contact
Reservations
2 Warriston's Close,
The Royal Mile
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh
EH1 1PG
Scotland
Tel: +44 (0)845 070 6244
Fax: +44 (131) 2250671
E-Mail: info@realmarykingsclose.com
WWW: http://www.realmarykingsclose.com
