The Real Mary King's Close welcomed its three-quarter of a millionth visitor on Thursday August 21st on the 10am tour.  Since opening in 2003, the attraction has far surpassed all predicted visitor numbers. Originally budgeted to achieve just 60,000 visitors a year, the attraction now welcomes over 170,000 visitors a year and is a hugely successful visitor attraction for the city of Edinburgh.  To date three-quarters of a million people have walked in the footsteps of Mary King and the Closes' other residents, both natural and supernatural, to join our tours and discover the warren of underground street and houses that lie beneath the Royal Mile.

In honour of the 750,000th visitor, the sound of bagpipes were heard on the Close for the first time since 1753 - when the Close was closed over by the construction of the Royal Exchange (now the City Chambers).  The lucky visitors and their tour were greeted by Paul Selwood, a former Pipe Major in full military regalia and piped out of the Close to create a celebratory fanfare to mark their landmark visit.

The lucky winners were Jan and Peter Roberts, visiting  Edinburgh from Perth, Western Australia and they were presented with a prize package including a five year pass to the award winning attraction, a hamper of Mary King's Close souvenirs, a meal for two at the newly refurbished North Bridge Brasserie in the five star Scotsman Hotel and a bottle of champagne to celebrate! 

In a day of celebrations, visitors to The Real Mary King's Close were entertained by the piper, a performance of Scottish fiddle tunes and an exclusive performance of excerpts from a fantastic family Fringe show, 'A History of Scotland in 60 Minutes or less', starring two talented Mary King's Close tour guides. These performances took place in the brand new Royal Exchange Coffee House, located in the Courtyard area, throughout the day for visitors and non-visitors to the site to enjoy. 

General Manager of The Real Mary King's Close, Stephen Spencer, said: "We are thrilled to be welcoming our three-quarters of a millionth visitor to the Real Mary King's Close and offering all visitors a day of Scottish celebrations.  We have beaten all visitor targets hands down since the opening, as the Close continues to draw in visitors who come to hear the captivating real life stories of the people that lived, worked and died in Edinburgh's fascinating underground streets in previous centuries."