Mary King's Close: Edinburgh's Forgotten Underground World

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Mary King's Close is a unique and fascinating historical site located in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland. This underground network of streets and tenements has a rich and complex history that spans several centuries, and is now open to the public as a popular tourist attraction. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the discovery and history of Mary King's Close, and explore some of the stories, myths, and legends that have come to be associated with this mysterious place.
The history of Mary King's Close begins in the 17th century, when it was a bustling and thriving neighborhood in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. The close, which takes its name from a local merchant named Mary King, was home to many of the city's poorest inhabitants, who lived in cramped and unsanitary conditions. The close was built on top of a natural ravine, which created a damp and gloomy environment that was conducive to the spread of disease.
The most notorious of these diseases was the bubonic plague, which swept through Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, killing millions of people. Edinburgh was no exception, and the close was particularly hard-hit by the outbreak. The close's close proximity to the Nor Loch, a stagnant and polluted marsh, made it an ideal breeding ground for the fleas that carried the plague. Many of the close's residents fell ill and died, and their bodies were buried in the surrounding streets and graveyards.
Despite the devastating impact of the plague, life in the close continued. The residents of Mary King's Close were a hardy and resilient people, and they managed to survive against all odds. They lived in cramped and squalid conditions, and many of them made their living as craftsmen, merchants, and tradespeople. The close was a vibrant and bustling place, and it was the center of much of the city's economic and social life.
However, as the 18th century progressed, the close began to fall into decline. The city of Edinburgh grew and expanded, and the close was gradually abandoned and forgotten. The buildings were gradually demolished, and the streets were filled in with rubble and debris. By the early 20th century, the close was nothing more than a forgotten underground maze of forgotten streets and abandoned buildings.
It wasn't until the late 20th century that the close was rediscovered. In the 1990s, construction workers were digging up the streets above the close when they accidentally punched through the roof of one of the underground streets. This led to the discovery of the hidden network of streets and buildings that had been buried for centuries.
The close was opened to the public for the first time in 2003, and it has since become one of Edinburgh's most popular tourist attractions. Visitors can take guided tours of the close, which are led by historical reenactors who dress in period costumes and tell the stories of the close's past inhabitants. Visitors can see the cramped and squalid living conditions that the residents of the close had to endure, and they can also learn about the ghosts and legends that are said to haunt the close to this day.
One of the most famous of these ghosts is Annie, a young girl who is said to have died of the plague in the close. According to legend, Annie's ghost still haunts the close to this day, and visitors can often feel her presence in the dark and gloomy underground streets. Many visitors bring toys, dolls, and sweets to leave for Annie, in the hopes that she will rest in peace and no longer haunt the close.
The close is also said to be haunted by the ghosts of plague victims, who are said to wander the streets in search of relief from their suffering. Visitors to the close can also see crime scenes and learn about the lives of some of the close's most infamous residents, including murderers and their victims.
Despite the dark and chilling atmosphere of the close, it's important to remember that the stories and legends associated with Mary King's Close are just that – stories and legends. While it's true that the close was a place of poverty, disease, and crime, it's also important to remember that it was also a place of community, resilience, and survival. The residents of the close were real people who lived, worked, and died in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, and their stories deserve to be remembered and celebrated.
Mary King's Close is a unique and fascinating historical site that offers a glimpse into the lives of the people who lived in Edinburgh's Old Town in the 17th century. The close's rich and complex history is intertwined with stories of plague, poverty, and crime, as well as myths and legends about ghosts and haunted alleyways. Despite the dark and chilling atmosphere of the close, visitors to Mary King's Close can also gain a deeper understanding of the resilience and strength of the human spirit, and the ability of people to survive and thrive even in the most difficult of circumstances.