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Say with me, The Real Mary King’s Close.
Say it again…faster…The Real Mary King’s Close.
You may agree, it’s a bit of a tongue twister…a real mouthful!
But…what is it?
In old Edinburgh, small alleyways and courtyards led off of the Royal Mile to the north and south. Closes had a canyon-like appearance and atmosphere; narrow with tall buildings on both sides and were usually named after a memorable occupant of one of the apartments.
Mary King was the daughter of advocate Alexander King, a property owner within the close. Although it was quite unusual for a close to be named after a woman, Mary, a widowed mother of four, was a prominent businesswoman with a high standing in the town.
The closes once contained densely populated communities, which to its detriment, bolstered the spread of disease. Harboring filthy conditions, they were eventually partially demolished and buried under the Royal Exchange. Closed to public access for many years, the area became the subject of many myths and urban legends. Ghost stories ran rampant, stemming from the countless victims who died within the close from the plague.
Searching for something unusual to do in Edinburgh, I came across the The Real Mary King’s Close Tour. Doing something I rarely do, in order to secure my spot on the tour, I booked it before I left for Edinburgh. Heading out to the offices on the Royal Mile, I checked in for my five-thirty tour.
Greeted by a costumed character tour guide, we were escorted through the many areas, homes and streets of the close and regaled with many tales of its occupants, including Mary King.
Interesting tales were divulged regarding how the close was named and the way its occupants lived their daily existence. Tales of the plague and how it swept through the close, killing thousands, gave everyone a creepy feeling while walking through the dimly lit rooms and alleyways.
The most interesting stories were of murder and hauntings. Images of disembodied limbs, child phantoms and gruesome animals have terrified many residing within and touring the close. The most recent and famous story, however, is that of a Japanese medium visiting the close. A little girl tugged on her coat as she left one of the rooms. The medium looked back to see a small girl crying in the corner. The little girl, Annie, claimed that she had died during the sickness of 1645 and told the medium of how lonely she was having lost her family, but mostly her treasured doll. The medium, went up to the Royal Mile, purchased a doll and left it for the child. Ever since, visitors have left dolls and other toys in the corner of the room for the little girl.
Though photos are not allowed throughout the tour due the sensitive nature of the surroundings, the tour guide will capture your photograph with an infrared camera while standing on the close, if you so wish. You can purchase the photo in the gift shop at the end of the tour.
Though it is touted as one of the most haunted sites in the world, I cannot say that I experienced any type of haunting while on the premises. In fact, I did not experience any type of hauntings on my second visit, a month later with my son. What I did experience, however, was a unique and well done tour by both tour guides with both having brought something unique to the experience and one that I would recommend highly.
Say it with me…The Real AWESOME Mary King’s Close tour!
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The Real Mary King’s Close Tour
- http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/
- Address: 2 Warriston’s Close, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1PG
- Hours: 1000-2100 (last tour), March 25-October 31, 1000-1700, Sunday thru Thursday and 1000-2100, Friday and Saturday, November 1-March 24
- Admission: Adults, £14.50, Senior (60+), £12.75, Students (with valid ID), £12.75, Child (5-15years), £8.75, Family ticket (2 adults and 2 children), £39.95