10th Jan, 2024
Our listed Burgh Courtroom has been renovated!
Renovation work costing £200,000 has transformed our Burgh Courtroom into an impressive new retail experience on the Royal Mile.
Following a complete redesign, the new space allows the original assets of the courtroom to stand out. All thanks to interior specialists, Lumsden Design.
The layout of the newly curated gift shop takes inspiration from Edinburgh’s 17th century market stalls, the Luckenbooths.
Inspired by History
The Luckenbooths were the city’s first permanent shops. Situated on the Royal Mile, they could be found just a stone’s throw away from Mary King’s Close. This was before the street was hidden beneath the City Chambers in 1753.
Excitingly, the new space aims to improve the visitor experience. By connecting the guest journey from Mary King’s Close to the gift shop more seamlessly, the Burgh Courtroom provides an interesting new extension of the tour itself. The history of the room is being revealed to guests on tour for the very first time.
Investing in the Renovation Work
The popular attraction views the renovation work as an investment. Especially following its hugely successful year. Over a quarter of a million people visited in 2023. Much of The Real Mary King’s Close’s highest footfall came during the annual Fringe festival and the school holidays. July saw a record-breaking number of visitors journey underground. The Met Office reporting that it was the UK’s wettest July since 2009, and the sixth wettest July on record.
With the addition of exclusive monthly special tours in 2023, including a Herstory Tour for Women’s History Month in March and the Pride History Tour in June, visitors were able to learn from a wealth of fascinating social history experiences. As a result, providing a deeper insight into Edinburgh’s dark and fascinating past.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: ‘Reflecting on knock-on effect of the pandemic on the tourism industry overall in recent years, we are delighted to see a consistent increase in our footfall. We want to invest in our fantastic Burgh Courtroom to ensure our guests are getting the highest quality visitor experience as possible. Now, we’re really looking forward to seeing the gift shop transform to a space that is reminiscent of the time and feeds into the social history of Mary King’s Close itself.’
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