Old Town - Edinburgh - page 59

Don't Miss
The Tenement Room
The scripted tour provided by your costumed guide, complete with ghostly tales and grue-
some tableaux, can seem a little naff, milking the scary and scatological aspects of the
close's history for all they're worth. But there are many things of genuine interest to see;
there's something about the crumbling 17th-century tenement room that makes the hairs
rise on the back of your neck, with tufts of horsehair poking from the collapsing lath-and-
plaster walls, the ghost of a pattern on the walls, and the ancient smell of stone and dust
thick in your nostrils.
Wee Annie's Room
In one of the former bedrooms off the close, a psychic once claimed to have been ap-
proached by the ghost of a little girl called Annie. It's hard to tell what's more frightening
- the story of the ghostly child, or the bizarre heap of tiny dolls and teddies left in a corner
by sympathetic visitors.
The Foot of the Close
Perhaps the most atmospheric part of the tour is at the end, when you stand at the foot of
Mary King's Close itself. You are effectively standing in a buried street with the old tene-
ment walls rising on either side, and the weight of the 11 storeys of the city chambers
above - and some 250 years of history - pressing down all around you.
Top Tips
› From November to March, opening hours are 10am to 5pm Sunday to Thursday, to 9pm Friday
and Saturday.
› Tours are limited to 20 people at a time, so book online at least 48 hours in advance to secure a
place; to book within 48 hours, phone.
› The tour includes stairs and uneven stone surfaces - wear suitable shoes.
› There are lots of enclosed spaces - not recommended if you suffer from claustrophobia!