'Close' Encounters of a different kind! Edinburgh's Mary King's Close, a preserved 17th Century neighborhood, tells the "other side" of those who lived along the Royal Mile

Mary King's Close, the other side of Edinburgh's past

While in the UK for two weeks, we enjoyed visiting castles and grand country mansions, but, that's never the whole story. While it's a treat to tour these luxurious abodes filled with priceless treasures, it's interesting - and a reality check - to see how the non-titled and non-entitled - lived. We found such a place at Mary King's Close, a now subterranean, 17th-century neighborhood of tightly grouped dwellings miraculously preserved in time. And, though this narrow close ("close" meaning lane or alleyway) is right off Edinburgh's Royal Mile, its prior inhabitants' lives were far from those who resided in the city's two famous castles (Holyrood and Edinburgh).  It was a community of poverty and illness, but, remarkably, also of achievement and caring.

Easy to miss sign directing you to Mary King's Close

Mary King's Close is named after an enterprising woman, born in the late 16th century in Edinburgh. In addition to being married with four children, she had her own business of sewing and selling clothes. Her husband was also a merchant as well as a representative of Edinburgh, otherwise known as a burgess. When Mary King's husband died, she and her children moved to a less prominent lane, but she continued to grow her business and, eventually, became a burgess herself - an incredible and admirable feat for that time. After her death, the narrow street she lived and prospered on was renamed Mary King's Close in her honor.

But, before we take a deeper look at the residents of this past community, a few details about its location and its uncovering - both by the city and our party of four (my husband, Chris, and I, along with NY couple, Matt and Jenna).

Holyrood (2018) one end of Royal Mile

Edinburgh Castle (2023), the other end

Although Chris and I had been to Edinburgh five years ago, and traveled up and down the Royal Mile at length, we never saw the barely visible sign pointing to Mary King's Close. We had never even heard a word about it, until, while dining at our destination restaurant in England's peak district last month, our waitress, upon learning we were traveling to Edinburgh, recommended Mary King's Close as a "must see" attraction. She noted that, while most only tour the castles, Mary King's Close, shows an entirely different world of Edinburgh's past. 

L'enclume - where we learned of Mary King's Close

The value, as well as the fun, of traveling is dining like royals at a Michelin 3-star restaurant one evening and, in that same week, immersing oneself in the lifestyle of the other end of society's spectrum. One gets the intangible souvenirs of historic accounts, perspective and, gratitude for not only the opportunity to momentarily live like Kings, but for our "everyday fortunes" as well, which we may often take for granted. 

City view from the top of Edinburgh Castle

So, after traveling north to Scotland, and situated in our Airbnb, just off the Royal Mile, we booked our Mary King's Close tour for the next day. Here, escorted by a docent, we learned that this neighborhood was not always underground. In the early 20th century, the lane was sealed off and new buildings were constructed on top of it.  It wasn't until the 1930's that it was rediscovered during an excavation, exposing an historic enclave with many pieces still intact. It served as a bomb shelter during WW II and became a tourist attraction in 2003. 

Edinburgh, 2018, missed the close

On our tour we also learned that the neighborhood was a mixed grouping of the very poor and, what may now be called, working and middle class. While some dwellings consisted of one small room without a window, housing up to sixteen people, with a single "slop bucket" to be shared, other apartments consisted of up to three rooms, complete with a fireplace. There's even evidence, in the higher-end abodes, of a stenciled-on wall covering - for the time, a rather upscale wallpaper.

Sadly, with a growing population in a small, confined area and the lack of hygienic practices, illness was rampant. Many residents contracted the bubonic plague, which often lead to a painful and ugly death. However, there is also evidence of a caring community that looked out after the ill, either by taking them to a quarantined location or by delivering food and other necessities at the affected person's doorstep.

In the gift shop with cuddly vermin

In the MCK tearoom and catching up with family

Truly a riveting tale of the "other side" of the street, but like all tourist attractions, whether high or low end, it all ends at the gift shop. Here at Mary King's Close, there's also an adjoining coffee and tea room.

In the gift shop, you can buy a photo of your party taken in the Close. No other photos are allowed. You can also purchase a stuffed rat, not nearly as threatening as the faux rodents on display in some of the underground apartments. Not entirely sure if the picture or the fluffy rat is in keeping with the reverence owed to this site, but we didn't leave empty-handed.  While we passed on the plush vermin, we did purchase our photo in the eerie alley of Mary King's Close. (Still deciding the most appropriate place to hang that one-of-a-kind picture).

Left the fluffy, but took the photo

Mary King's Close provides modern tourists with a snapshot into the world outside of Edinburgh's' castles and, though less privileged, their stories are as interesting as the royals. 

We did, indeed, come away with a better understanding of history, perspective and, yes, that 5 x 7 glossy photo of a couple of U.S. tourists taken in the shadows of the 17th century lane.

This may be in your Christmas card this year!