Real Mary King's Close

Overview

2024 Update - Mary King's Close is open daily. Tickets should be Pre-booked as spaces are limited. 

Mary King’s Close is a labyrinth of passageways, vaulted chambers, and old tenement houses that date back to the 1600’s. This network of streets below the city was created in 1753 when the Royal Exchange / City Chambers was built and the lower sections of the tenements were retained as foundations for the new building. The remnants of the closes were left beneath the building, dark, spooky, and largely forgotten. 

The 50 minute guided tour is conducted by “actors” in period dress who take on the roles of 17th century inhabitants of the close. You will be guided through the cramped, dark, and sometimes smelly chambers where the original inhabitants lived. Along the tour you are given some ghostly experiences (not too scary for kids) and you see a few examples of how the residents lived and, quite frequently, died of the plague. 

The most impressive part of the tour is the bizarre subterranean sight of Mary King’s Close with its several stories of floors now enclosed beneath the floor of the City Chambers. Most of the vaulted chambers that you are shown are disappointingly bare and the quality of your experience is largely dependent on how good your guide is. If you do not have good English you may struggle to understand the guides. 

It is worth seeing as it is a very unusual experience, but we were a little bit disappointed in terms of the price. 

Please Note: Due to the historical nature of this underground facility access may prove difficult for people with certain disabilities. Many of the spaces throughout the attraction are of a dusty nature and may be uncomfortable for those with breathing difficulties, please phone in advance for clarification.

Photography is not permitted inside the Close.