How to Spend a Day in Edinburgh

Making a fleeting visit to Scotland’s grand capital? With only a few hours in Edinburgh, a city that is so rich in culture and history, it’s hard to know where to begin. Where to dine and visit, not to mention the issue of navigating the bustling city! Fear not, we’ve compiled the ultimate guide on how to spend a day in Edinburgh.

Planning a Day in Edinburgh

8AM: Any great day trip starts with a delicious breakfast.  Only a short five minute walk from Edinburgh Haymarket train station, we recommend heading on over the chic Orcadian restaurant, The Skerries (part of luxury boutique hotel, The Dunstane.) With the recent addition of fine-dining expert chef, Paul, we guarantee that breakfast will be nothing but delightful.

9AM: We know a good breakfast; we’re guessing you’re probably more than full at this point. Up and ready, we recommend exploring Edinburgh Haymarket. Since the addition of the Edinburgh tramline, Haymarket has thrived – and with fantastic cafes and very alluring boutique shops to visit, we’re confident you’ll find a little piece of luxury you’ll just love.

10:30AM: It’s time to hop on a tram and head over to Edinburgh’s legendary Princes Street. Home to major high-street brand flagships stores, the street also hosts Edinburgh’s famous department store, Jenners. Go ahead – indulge in some retail therapy!

12PM: Feeling peckish? Why not head on over to Eteaket for some lunch? Located on Frederick Street, Edinburgh’s very own award-winning tea room, Eteaket sells scrumptious cakes, ciabattas – as well as afternoon tea. With an abundance of teas from around the globe readily available, we’re pretty sure you’ll be swapping out your regular Frappuccino for a take-away bag of your favourite brew.

1:30PM: Time to work off those calories! No trip to Edinburgh is complete without a trek up Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. As you pass over the cobbled streets, you’ll take in the surrounding first-class attractions – get a peek at the famous Edinburgh “closes.” Why not drop into the Scotch whisky experience and hop on a tour for an hour to find more out about Scotland’s most famous alcoholic beverage. Word is you even get a “wee dram” during the tour!

3:00PM: Hopefully you won’t be feeling too tipsy after your trip to the Scotch Whisky Experience! If you’re a fan of antiques and vintage goods, then a trip to Armstrong’s Vintage Emporium is imperative! Located only three minutes away from the Royal Mile via Cowgate, soak up the sensation of times gone past with genuine vintage dating back as far as the Victorian period.  Be warned, the shop is deceptive and much bigger than it looks from the outside!

4:00PM: In the mood for more history in action? Head on over to Real Mary King’s Close (located just off the Royal Mile) and get ready for a slice of gruesome and macabre history! Find out about the tales and stories of Mary King’s Close on a tour with us – it’s an experience not to miss out on! Be quick – tours book up fast so we recommend advanced booking.

5:00PM: Dinner time! Head back over the river to visit MP’s Bistro – located only five minutes away from Edinburgh Waverly train station. Seated on the foot of historic Calton Hill, indulge in fine-dining delights including the purse-friendly pre-theatre menu.

7:00PM: Not in a rush to get home? Located a short distance away from MP’s Bistro, is the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre – hotspot for major west-end musicals and first-class shows. From seating in the gallery, to the inner circles, experience the magnificence of the listed building, originally modelled on New York’s Roxy Cinema.

Regardless of how you spend your day, Edinburgh guarantees all but one thing – boredom. One thing’s for sure, we’re confident you’ll return soon to spend another day in Edinburgh. Who could resist its charm? 

Murder Mystery in Edinburgh

From great fires ravaging the streets of Edinburgh to the horrific and often fatal plague that struck its people down, Scotland’s capital city isn’t short of a gruesome story or two. In fact, one of its most famous tales is the story of a murder mystery in Edinburgh, or several murders as you’ll eventually find out. 

The story of the world’s most famous body snatchers, Burke and Hare, has achieved cult status – and has since been portrayed in several films – including a Hollywood blockbuster and other modern media. The story is documented to have begun 1827, after the pair had originally met and began to lodge together, along with Burke’s wife, Helen McDougal.

As was typical in those times, money was in short supply and poverty was high. In 1827, a lodger at their accommodation passed away while owing an outstanding balance of £4 to Hare. Seeking an opportunity to recoup his money, Hare tapped into his “entrepreneurial spirit” and turned to the demand of fresh bodies for anatomical studies. Justifying his plans as payment in return for the outstanding debt, Hare enlisted the help of Burke to swap the deceased lodger’s body out of his coffin, and placed heavy, cheap tanning bark in place for the funeral. The duo then delivered the lodger’s body to a professor called Knox at Surgeon Square. Accepting the body on a “no questions asked” basis, the professor paid the pair seven pounds and ten shillings for their efforts.

It was an easy opportunity to make money, but when they ran out of bodies from naturally occurring deaths, it didn’t take long for Burke and Hare to resort to murder. Their first victim was a fellow lodger, already in a poor and sickly way. Suffocating their victims in the hope they would appear dead from natural causes, the pair had quickly racked up a total of up to thirty bodies delivered to the attentive surgical students, but their downfall came when they targeted victims well-known to the public, including two prostitutes and a children’s entertainer.

Suspicious fellow lodgers, James and Ann Gray, eventually confirmed the pair were up to no good and alerted the authorities. Burke and Hare were arrested and questioned, and in order to secure a conviction, the Lord Advocate offered Hare the opportunity to testify against his partner and his wife, and save his own skin. Hare jumped at the chance and took to the stand, convincing the jury to reach a guilty verdict. Burke was hung for his crimes and, in a fitting nod to his life of crime; his body was donated to medical practices and anatomical study.

Looking For a Modern Murder Mystery in Edinburgh?

Burke and Hare might have been responsible for the most famous murder mystery in Edinburgh, but there are plenty more tales to be told. Why not try one for yourself by booking a unique murder mystery event with Real Mary King’s Close and unveil your own mystery beneath the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.  

History of the Edinburgh Royal Mile

"Royal Mile" by Dave W licensed under C.C. by 2.0

Inhabited for over 7,000 years and complete with a castle of grand proportions, meandering closes and worn-down cobbled streets, it’s hardly surprising that the epicentre of Edinburgh’s unique past is its famous Royal Mile.

Known for its gruesome tales and triumphant stories of glory, the Royal Mile is steeped in rich history. However, the name “Royal Mile” is perhaps a little misleading – without doubt it’s an energetic walk, but it’s actually over a mile in length – by 107 yards. Always the central focus of the city, the name Edinburgh was derived from the Gaelic “Dun Eidyn” which translates appropriately into “hillfort on the sloping ridge.”

It wasn’t until 1124 that the Royal Mile began to thrive. King David I, was inspired by the hill fort (now known as Edinburgh Castle) supported by the iconic crag rock. Granting trading rights to the Township, the Lawnmarket became an open-air market. King David I continued to develop the town, planning out the Via Regis (“Way of the King”) – now better known today as High Street.

The Royal Mile became a hotspot and sought after housing area. Eventually, by 1591, conditions had devolved from luxury residencies to increasingly squalid and unsanitary conditions in stone-built residencies. The only exceptions were the wealthy, tucked away in the fashionable Cannongate area. 1645 brought more squalid conditions, and by this time it is estimated around 70,000 people were permanently residing in the Royal Mile, in accommodation reaching fourteen stories high and often with ten people sharing a single room.

The end of the 18^th Century began to see some improvement, particularly with the introduction of street cleaning. In 1865, acting Lord Provost William Chambers focused on restoring the city to its former glory, ordering restorations and new tenement flats to be built. Town planner, Partick Geddes, in the 1880s continued to build on this work and form the foundations of the Edinburgh we know today.

Find Out More About the History of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile

Edinburgh’s history knows no bounds – from tales of body-snatchers roaming dimly-lit graveyards in the dead of night, to the practice of drowning suspected witches in the town’s drinking water well. To find out more about the harsh realities of 17^th century life in Edinburgh, why not visit its ancient streets for yourself? Book one of our tours and explore the RealMary King’s Close and the history of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Benefits for Group Tours of Real Mary King’s Close

If they say that three’s a crowd, what does 15 or more make? It makes the perfect number of people for group tours of Real Mary King’s Close. Whether you’re part of a social club, youth society or school group, touring the hidden and buried streets of Edinburgh is a great activity to do together.

There are benefits to booking as part of a group, including dedicated admission times to avoid you having to queue. If you’re lucky enough to be the group leader, you’ll be given a free ticket – and there’s another one for your coach driver, too. Also, if you’re planning group tours of real Mary King’s Close with a group of school children, we’ll let one adult in for free with every ten students.

We know it’s important to understand what you’re bringing your group to see, which is why we invite you along for a complimentary familiarisation tour with one of our excellent guides. They’ll take you through the tour, showing you the history and route so you have an understanding of everything your group will enjoy on the day.

Benefits for Group Tours of Real Mary King’s Close

At Real Mary King’s Close, we’ve partnered with some more of Edinburgh’s top attractions to give you multiple group booking discounts you’ll be delighted with. Make a full day of it by pre-booking a meal at the nearby Hard Rock Café, which is offering discounted rates for bookings of 15 or more.

Then, to carry on your voyage of discovery around the city, the Edinburgh Council’s Museums and Galleries group is offering free access to five amazing venues for every child booked on a group tour. Explore the maze of rooms at the historic Museum of Edinburgh, where historic crafts and handmade objects are out on display, head to the Writers’ Museum to celebrate the life and works of Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, or choose the unique Museum of Childhood and reminisce over toys you once had and games you used to play.

At the City Art Centre, Scottish artwork hangs to be admired and enjoyed, and finally, the People’s Story Museum depicts the lives of the average working man and woman from the early 18^th Century to our modern era.

Don’t daydream about the history of Edinburgh city - come and explore itfor yourself.

Real Mary King’s Close Emerges Above Ground

Our history lies beneath the streets of Edinburgh, in the once-forgotten Mary King’s Close. Reopened after work on a modern exchange building discovered its sealed-off streets, the Close is now one of Edinburgh City’s top and most unique attractions. For years now, our costumed guides have led groups of intrepid travellers down steep steps and into the bowels of the city, opening their eyes to the silent world of 16^th Century city life. But now we’re bringing the Real Mary King’s Close into the modern day, intertwining her fascinating history with a stroll through the modern streets of our current generation.

Modern Tours at Real Mary King's Close

Our newly created walking tours will take you along the bustling Royal Mile, showing you the hidden entrances to other sealed-off closes just like ours. We’ll delight you with tales of disorderly ale houses, where dastardly plans were concocted in the dead of night, and spare you no details of gory executions and brutal murders. We’ll talk you through how the times have changed, and what might have happened to the Real Mary King’s Close if she hadn’t been hidden away for an age.

Four times a day you can join one of these walking tours as an add-on to our already popular underground tours. One of our costumed guides will show you around Real Mary King’s Close first, following our normal route and presentation, before bringing you up top and out into the light. It’s the perfect combination and a great way to make your main tour last just a little bit longer.

Since we don’t run very many walking tours, and all four are put on in the afternoon, places will be limited and will book up fast. You can secure your space in advance so you don’t miss this unique opportunity, and the added tour gives you an extra hour for just £5 more. We have plenty of other special events on too, including a unique murder mystery tour that will set your nerves on edge, and great family ideas for the upcoming Easter Holidays. Have a look at our website for more details or click here to book now.

More Continuum Attractions

The Continuum Group is committed to bringing you outstanding and unique visitor attractions in unexpectedly locations around the UK. If you enjoy our tours at Real Mary King’s Close, why not discover your sweeter side at the York Chocolate Story or visit the Coronation Street set for a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse at the UK’s favourite TV soap.

Easter Holidays Beneath Edinburgh’s Streets

What could be better during Easter holidays than a dramatic underground tour that sneaks in some education too? Not much, if you ask us. Catering for older children at Real Mary King’s Close, we’re experts at keeping adults and kids alike entertained. Exploring history has never been so much fun, or so memorable. We delve into Edinburgh’s dark past, discovering its unsanitary living conditions, darting through ancient streets once rank with sewerage, and unearthing the long-dead plague.

Whether you normally enjoy history or not, our tours are no ordinary sight. Costumed guides will lead you on your underground adventure, delighting you with surprising re-enactments and peaking your curiosity like never before. Talking through the history of ancient Edinburgh, we cram centuries of life and stories into our interactive tours. We guarantee this will be an hour of learning you’ll actually find fun. You won’t want it to end.

Easter Holidays at Real Mary King's Close

Exploring one of Edinburgh’s top attractions is the perfect day out as a family, and tickets (two adults and two children) are £42 for the hour-long tour. We run our group tours at regular intervals throughout the day, bookable in advance via our website, so you’re sure to find a time that suits you best, and there’s plenty of time left over to explore our gift shop up top for memorabilia of your visit.

Book your Family Tickets for the Easter Holidays

Why not combine a visit to Real Mary King’s Close with a tour of historic Edinburgh Castle, just at the top of the hill. Or spend some time strolling down the cobbled pavement of legendary Royal Mile, hunting out other hidden close doorways and shopping in quaint boutiques. If you’re here in August, Edinburgh comes alive with fabulous festivals like the famous Fringe when the fill with dancing and music acts, bands and mine artists.

Real Mary King’s Close is a short ten minute walk from Edinburgh Waverly Station, if you plan on travelling by train. If you’re walking to see us, why not enjoy a stroll through Princes Gardens below the castle where events are held throughout the year.

Visit our booking page to arrange your tickets now, and don’t miss out one of Edinburgh’s best attractions this Easter holidays. If you like our tours this year, keep an eye on all the development going on because the Real Mary King’s Close is expanding to become bigger and better than ever before.

The Real Robbie Burns’ Night

Robert Burns’  is one of Scotland’s most celebrated poets. He penned a number of classics such as the world famous ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and the narrative poem ‘Tam O’Shanter’. At The Real Mary King’s Close, we like to think of Burns as an old friend, considering he stayed on the Close on 28th November, 1786. It was Baxter’s Close, to be precise—which is where Deacon Brodie’s Tavern now lies.

Our Tribute to Burns

We would like to invite you to join our own birthday celebrations for Robert Burns and his works.  For a mere £25, your ticket will get you an exclusive evening of Scottish food and drink, poetry and a fully guided tour around the Close. You will hear from characters that lived during these days and experienced life in the Close and the surrounding Old Town of Edinburgh. Your evening will begin at 6.15pm with an hour-long historical tour. You will also enjoy a glass of Prosecco or whisky and a hot mug of hearty Scotch broth to warm those cockles. We will have a delicious spread of canapés—Scottish inspired, of course—alongside live readings of some of the most important and famous Burns’ poems. What better way to spend a Sunday night than enjoying some of our national treasures with this fully immersive experience?

More on the Close

As you wander around the Close you will learn exactly what life was like in Edinburgh old town. This side of life was only seen by the poor and the destitute as they made their homes around the Close. However, Mary King broke the mould as she made her living as a fabric trader and sewing expert to support her children after being widowed. It was extremely rare for women to be afforded any respect in those days, but Mary earned it and consequently the close was named after her. We now enjoy her legacy, so come and join us for a night of celebration of Robert Burns on 25th January, 2015. Click here to book your tickets.

Half Term Family Road Trip

Our parent company, Continuum Attractions, operates a number of other attractions in different cities across the UK. In each of the attractions, we strive to offer an engaging, fun and educational experience that brings British culture and history to life. Our own Edinburgh attraction takes you on a tour of the old town’s underbelly of crime and poverty, whilst showing you how people lived during the seventeenth century. The Real Mary King’s Close is a must for history buffs of all ages, but Edinburgh isn’t the only place where you can delve into the past. This February half term, why not enjoy a tour of some of Britain’s favourite cities for a staycation the whole family will love. Whether you start or finish in Edinburgh, we’re sure you will have a fun road trip!

What else will you see around Britain?

For a limited time only, you can step onto the cobbles of one of Britain’s best loved streets for a behind the scenes tour filled with intriguing stories. ‘Coronation Street’ has been on air for over 50 years making it the longest running soap opera in the history of TV, featuring many different families over the years. The likes of Ena Sharples and Annie Walker are unlikely to ever be seen again, but now is the last chance to follow in their footsteps as the Coronation Street set has relocated to Salford.  Take a mosey around the set and see where Ken and Deirdre lived, visit the Rovers for a pint and check out the railway bridge—scene of the great train crash when the series was still in black and white.

Planning a Tour

Just two hours from Manchester and the Coronation Street tour you will find the beautiful town of York. If your family have a sweet tooth then step into the indulgent world of York’s Chocolate Story. If you plan on heading further south, you can easily take in three attractions in a few days with our historic Canterbury Tales and Kent Life attractions, before heading on to explore Oxford Castle.

With so much choice, it can be difficult to decide what to do! However, don’t forget that at The Real Mary King’s Close, we are offering a fantastic family deal for just £37.50 (2 adults and 2 children)  – just click here to book in advance. Our attraction isn’t suitable for under 5’s but we’re sure even your grumpy teenagers will be intrigued by life in Edinburgh’s hidden streets!

A History of Mary King’s Close

Edinburgh has a long history, much of which has become entrenched in the history books as not so pleasant. Like London, it was highly populated and therefore very susceptible to many of the same conditions and situations, such as poverty, disease, poor hygiene, and many notably bad occupations. These urban issues were exacerbated by the exodus to the cities prompted by the industrial revolution in the 18th Century, and remained a very real factor in people’s lives until after the Second World War. Edinburgh handled this slightly better than other British cities as the population was only about 20,000 after the last plague hit the city between 1644 and 1645.  Despite being the worst record, mercifully it was also the last.

The 1600s

During the 1600s, living conditions were rough. Law and justice were rare but harsh, and the poor were largely resigned to poverty and neglect by the establishment. These were the days before street lighting and an organised police force – so robberies, burglary and violent crime were rife. Taxes were crippling, and people who could not make ends meet often ended up in slums in the city, which bred crime and disease. Among the more affluent families in Edinburgh was the King family, namely one Alexander King—a lawyer whom the close was previously named after.

When he died in 1619, the close was renamed to honour Mary King (no relation) who was a professional clothes maker and fabric trader, as well as a noted philanthropist. When she was widowed with four children in 1629, she maintained her stature in the community, rather than letting the grief consume her. Mary died in 1644, but it is unclear from what, especially as it was during the early days of the last plague outbreak. Mary was fondly remembered by Edinburgh’s poorer citizens for the work she hid in helping to improve working conditions, and we are proud to honour her memory to this day.

Mary’s Memory Lives On

In 1694, the Edinburgh Town Council recorded in its minutes the existence of Mary King’s Close. Sadly, during the construction of the Royal Exchange in 1753, other closes along with Mary King’s suffered some loss when half were covered over. Exactly one hundred years later, in 1853, much the same thing happened during construction of Cockburn Street and more destruction was brought upon Mary King’s Close. Still, the residents remained, and it was not until 1902 that the last resident left by order of compulsory purchase. In January 1904, a new council chamber opened, right above the close.

The Close Today

In 2003, The Real Mary King’s Close opened as a public attraction, entertaining and regaling visitors with stories of crime, plague, debauchery and murder around the Close. We have become a much loved attraction of tourists around the world. Come along and enjoy the sights and smells of old Edinburgh, and the real historical characters that lived, loved and worked in our city.