About Us
Opened in 2003, The Real Mary King’s Close is an award-winning five-star attraction located in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. On a one-hour social history tour, guests explore this unique warren of hidden streets and spaces.
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Who runs The Real Mary King’s Close?
Continuum Attractions was chosen to develop and operate The Real Mary King’s Close as a world-class visitor attraction by the City of Edinburgh Council. As the leading operator of cultural and heritage experiences in the UK, Continuum manages an award-winning portfolio of visitor attractions including Oxford Castle & Prison and York’s Chocolate Story.
The history of The Real Mary King’s Close
A warren of underground streets and spaces, the Close can be a strange concept to understand. Back in the 1600’s, Mary King’s Close and other neighbouring Closes were at the heart of Edinburgh’s busiest and most vibrant streets; open to the skies and bustling with traders selling their wares to the Old Town’s residents. Why would this street find itself underground 400 years later? For years, the hidden Closes of Old Town Edinburgh have been shrouded in myths and mysteries, with blood curdling tales of ghosts and murders, and of plague victims being walled up and left to die. Research and archaeological evidence has revealed a truer story, rooted in fact and, as is so often the case – more fascinating than any amount of fiction.
On a visit to The Real Mary King’s Close, accompanied by a costumed character tour guide based on a one time resident, you will explore this underground site, hearing these fascinating stories.
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