Mary King's Close, Edinburgh (must see)
If you are a fan of ghost stories and haunted houses, you鈥檒l love Real Mary King鈥檚 Close, which is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in Edinburgh, found deep under the Royal Exchange building.
The close is a series of winding streets and tenement houses that were used as the foundations of the Royal Exchange, many years after they had been closed off during the Great Plague that struck the city in 1645.
The plague, which came from Europe, was carried here by the fleas on the merchant ships鈥� rats and infested the poorer parts of the city, where hygiene was minimal, to say the least. Carried by flea bites, the plague spread and many of the poorer tenement areas were closed off as urgent quarantine measures.
Mary King鈥檚 Close was one such area and, according to legend, the people left inside the streets and buildings were bricked in and left to die either of the plague or starvation. Their ghosts, and particularly one of a small girl, named Annie, are said to be haunting the place.
The area was uncovered during renovations to the building over it and was opened to the public in 2003 as a tourist attraction. Guides in costume dress will lead you through the underground streets, which have been restored to 17th-century designs, and tell you the history of Mary King, the master seamstress, after whom the close was named, as well as about Annie.
You can leave a toy or make a small donation to the poor little spirit who wanders the streets looking for her favourite doll. All these gifts are, in turn, given to the hospital for sick children and other charities.
The close is a series of winding streets and tenement houses that were used as the foundations of the Royal Exchange, many years after they had been closed off during the Great Plague that struck the city in 1645.
The plague, which came from Europe, was carried here by the fleas on the merchant ships鈥� rats and infested the poorer parts of the city, where hygiene was minimal, to say the least. Carried by flea bites, the plague spread and many of the poorer tenement areas were closed off as urgent quarantine measures.
Mary King鈥檚 Close was one such area and, according to legend, the people left inside the streets and buildings were bricked in and left to die either of the plague or starvation. Their ghosts, and particularly one of a small girl, named Annie, are said to be haunting the place.
The area was uncovered during renovations to the building over it and was opened to the public in 2003 as a tourist attraction. Guides in costume dress will lead you through the underground streets, which have been restored to 17th-century designs, and tell you the history of Mary King, the master seamstress, after whom the close was named, as well as about Annie.
You can leave a toy or make a small donation to the poor little spirit who wanders the streets looking for her favourite doll. All these gifts are, in turn, given to the hospital for sick children and other charities.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Edinburgh. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 51爆料网 App
Mary King's Close on Map
Sight Name: Mary King's Close
Sight Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (See walking tours in Edinburgh)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (See walking tours in Edinburgh)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Edinburgh, Scotland
Create Your Own Walk in Edinburgh
Creating your own self-guided walk in Edinburgh is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Royal Mile Walking Tour
The Royal Mile, a steep thoroughfare in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, is one of the city's busiest tourist destinations. It runs down a slope, from the famed Edinburgh Castle to Holyroodhouse Palace and the ruined Holyrood Abbey, for almost exactly a mile and thus got its name, coined in 1920. The succession of streets forming the Royal Mile is lined with numerous shops, pubs,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Edinburgh Introduction Walking Tour
Comfortably yet tightly packed on the hilly terrain, Edinburgh 鈥� the Scottish capital since at least the 15th century, and the seat of the Scottish Parliament since 1999 鈥� is a picturesque city renowned for its unique architecture of the medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town, currently both listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The earliest known human habitation in the area dates... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
New Town Walking Tour
Rightly regarded as the historic masterpiece of city planning, the New Town of Edinburgh has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The area forms a significant part of the Scottish capital and is known for its elegant Georgian architecture, abundant shopping opportunities, and many other delights firmly associated with this city.
One of the prominent landmarks in the New Town is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
One of the prominent landmarks in the New Town is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Harry Potter Trail
Years after the release of the last Harry Potter book and movie, the cultural phenomenon of Harry Potter doesn't seem to fade away and the fandom continues strong as ever. Although by now Harry Potter has become a household name across the globe, the fact that J.K. Rowling penned some of the world's favorite wizarding stories in Scotland's capital, where she still lives now, makes... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Old Town Walking Tour
The historical center of Edinburgh, popularly known as the Old Town, is indeed the oldest part of the Scottish capital. Most of the buildings here, made of stone and characterized by numerous tall windows, have been around since the Middle Ages and are covered with soot, left over from the days long gone, when houses were heated with hard-coal and wood. Hence the prevailing gray color in the area.... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Literary Landmarks Tour
For centuries, Edinburgh has been home to numerous writers. The likes of Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and JK Rowling, just to name a few, have given pride to this city. Fortunately, the tradition doesn't seem to die out any time soon, as Edinburgh keeps producing more and more authors and literary heroes in whose footsteps people still wish to tread.
Naturally, there is a wealth... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Naturally, there is a wealth... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
19 Best Pubs in New Town, Edinburgh
A guide to the pubs that make up the area that is called Edinburgh's New Town. A description about what you can expect from each of the locations in the directory. A fantastic directory if you are a tourist or even a...
Top 12 Pubs On and Around Royal Mile in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a vibrant city with abundant nightlife and no shortage of places to go after dusk. The Royal Mile alone, in the very heart of Edinburgh, is laden with character spots craving to be discovered by the first time visitors to the city. This is the highlight of some of the most notable bars...
Scottish Souvenirs: 15 Authentic Scottish Things to Buy in Edinburgh
The popularity of Scotland stretches far beyond its geographical borders, fueled, in large part, by Hollywood's interest in the Scottish theme - Sean Connery (as James Bond), "Braveheart", etc. Indeed, the cultural spectrum of this part of Britain is enormous and comprises great...