Murder Mystery Office Parties

Entertaining business guests can sometimes leave you flummoxed, especially if they are not strangers to your offices or your city. It is possible that you may have already taken them to most or all of the main local attractions, and it can leave you wondering how you can continue to impress them. Well, look no further. Our team have been busy planning ways to help local businesses impress their clients and we think we’ve come up with a unique way to put a smile on their faces.

Murder Mysteries a la Agatha Christie

We don’t actually bring Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot to solve a murder, but that is where your guests come in. We can offer you a private evening of murder mystery that transports you back to 1943.  You and your guests will experience the previously unexplored era of The Real Mary King’s Close, when the underground streets of Edinburgh were used as air raid shelters during World War II.

The scene is set when guests are invited to a party held by the Lord Provost to honour the war heroes. As the air raid siren sounds, sharply and abruptly, you find yourself ushered into the shelter along with the rest of the party, where it is soon discovered that most heinous crime of murder has been committed.

You and your guests are then split into four groups to search for clues, answer questions and piece together exactly what happened. You will hear character testimonies and accounts of their whereabouts while you work together to solve the mystery.

Team Building and Exploration

Thanks to the perfect mix of exploration and theatre, you will find that this is a great exercise in team building and a whole lot of fun too. Corporate guests can benefit from getting to know each other better as you work together to solve the murder case. It is also great for teaching people a little about how everybody works at the same time as having lots of fun.  Booking is simple and we can accommodate various size groups, so just get in touch for further details!

Welcome to the 2014 Close Fest

Here at The Real Mary King’s Close, we like to give our visitors a genuinely fun and interesting experience. We constantly try to think of ways to enhance your experience and this year’s Close Fest should keep your whole group happy.  Last year was our first ever Close Fest and it was such a massive hit that we have decided to do it again this year!

The 2014 Programme

Our 2014 programme of events launches on the most appropriate day of the year, Halloween. This marks a week long spectacular filled with entertainment, history and spooky fun for most of the family. Children under five probably shouldn’t come with you because of the nature of our attraction, but those over 5 are more than welcome.

So, if you think you know exactly what is hidden underneath the streets of Edinburgh, think again. You aren’t likely to experience anything as close to the immersive experience you will have at one of our Close Fest events. No venue comes close to offering this level of unique fun!

Oct 31st The Dark Truth Tour - prepare to be terrified on a journey into the underground history of the most ancient city in Scotland.

Nov 2nd Hamish James Hawk and Special Guests - Hamish is a singer who blends many contemporary Scottish themes in his repertoire of songs. He’s definitely one to watch for the future!

Nov 3rd Everyman - this one-man play is a must see and charts the achievements of the main character’s life.

Nov 4th The Essence of Flamenco - the flamenco takes on a new twist, so join us and learn this passionate dance.

Nov 6th Charles Edward Stuart - a Close Encounter - Arran Johnston brings to life the man behind the ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ myth. Come and meet the man who would be king.

Nov 7th Beneath the Surface - Think you know about Scottish history? Think again. This late night tour takes you beyond the normal tourist stories to discover a darker past.

Nov 8th Murder Mystery Evening - the Lord Provost has invited you back to 1943 to help solve the mystery of who committed this hideous crime.

Come for some Spooky Fun

Close fest certainly puts an interesting twist on a night out! Why not round up some friends and join us for this week long series of events? Tickets are now available to purchase online or at our box office, so book yours not to avoid disappointment!

The Spookiest Places to Visit in Edinburgh in the Fall

The Fall is a magical time to pay a trip to Edinburgh. The tree-lined hills surrounding the city are russet red, warm pubs with inviting fireplaces beckon from the old streets and there are atmospheric adventures and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

 “Grassmarket by night” by Geograph, licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0

The haunted city

Ghosties, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night are always a strong attraction for those visiting Edinburgh at this time of year.  The dark and mysterious history of the city reaches from deep below its underbelly to the high streets of the aristocracy. Edinburgh is and always will be a city of historical mystery, where grave robbers, ghosts and spirits roamed in the night.

Edinburgh Castle

When you visit Edinburgh during the day, the Castle will tell you many historical tales. The history of the castle alone is fascinating, but the stories of its residents are much more interesting.  The building itself is a marvel, with trails, dungeons and cold stone towers to keep you wandering for hours.  The beautiful castle is well worth seeing during your day visit.

Edinburgh by Night

Well, Edinburgh in the evening truly is a spectacle that will create a trip to remember. If you visit our great city during the autumn or winter months, nights will begin to draw in around 4pm and the city will become the perfect setting for a night out with a difference.

Real Mary King’s Close

You can start your night with a visit to The Real Mary King’s Close where you can learn the truth about how people really lived in Edinburgh’s underground streets. We are one of the only attractions that stay open during the winter season and our last tour starts at 5pm meaning it’s a great way to start a night of exploring the darker side of Edinburgh’s past.

Ghostly tours

If exploring our underground streets gives you a taste of the weird and wonderful, then why not book onto the ‘City of the Dead’ tour. This explores the legendary ‘Underground City’ where entire communities lived in squalor. It was dirty and grimy and reported to be ‘as black as Satan’s jammies’.

If being spooked by that isn’t enough, head off on the ‘Auld Reekie’ tour where you can see the vaults and graveyards, including the South Bridge Vaults to experience a bone chilling trip through the murkiest part of Edinburgh.

Check out our guides for visiting Edinburgh for more help with planning your trip.

Enjoy a Family Day Out in the Edinburgh Underworld

The October holidays can be tricky for parents across the country. The weather is normally beginning to turn wintery so outdoors activities are often ruled out. The kids however are still full of energy and will be looking for ways to stay entertained! Why not give them something different with a trip deep underground in Edinburgh.

This October, we have a fantastic deal to share. It’s a limited offer, so get in quickly to ensure you don’t miss out. For the October half term break only, we are offering 15% off the price of a family ticket. 

More details

So, you are probably wondering just how this all works. Well, it’s simple; from 1st October until 2nd November, you just bring the whole family along, with two adults and two children aged from 5 to 15 and the four of you can get a discount.  The kids must be older than five because of the nature of the Mary King’s Close attraction can be unsettling for younger children. Family tickets cost just £35.70 helping you save money.

Is it really spooky?

You will find plenty of real-life tales of spooky goings-on and dastardly misdeeds beneath the sleepy streets of Old Edinburgh. You can learn the stories of how people used to live in these narrow streets, how the plague attacked the community and how people learned to survive from day to day in the slums.  We like to make sure that kids can learn a little about Scottish history while they enjoy themselves. It is much easier to teach a child history when that information is disguised in something much more interesting than a lecture. We aim to bring fun to the historic stories and tell them with gusto and personality.

So, come and join us during half term and give your kids the ultimate family day out in Edinburgh at the Real Mary King’s Close. Tickets can be purchased in advance here or on the door on the day.

Continuum Charity Support

At The Real Mary King’s Close, we welcome people from all walks to life to help them learn the truth about Edinburgh’s history. We even help others get a head start with a career in hospitality through our modern apprenticeship programme so we were thrilled when we heard our parent company Continuum have developed a brand new partnership with The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. Because Continuum are one of the United Kingdom’s most-prevalent attraction hosts, with more than thirty years' experience in creating memorable moments, it seemed only fitting that they should team up with such a great trust.

Image courtesy of Dame Kelly Holmes Trust

Loads to See and Loads of Reasons to Help

Because The Real Mary King's Close is under the Continuum umbrella, we are greatly involved with everything that the charity will be doing. And, because they own a series of countrywide attractions, you are never far from an attraction that can help support our charity partner.

The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust works with people between the ages of 16 and 25 and gives them opportunities for personal development. This is achieved through the Olympics, Paralympics and other great athletes who club together to help out when needed. They offer mentorship, support, training and other efforts to help people overcome their diversities.

Making your Own Memories

It’s great to have somewhere you can go for a fond memory and we at The Real Mary King’s Close can offer you tours, private parties and some fun and frightening experiences. Our tour can also be excellent for supporting your own youth group so why not bring them along? We take great pride in maintaining our exceptionally high standards and will ensure everyone has a fantastic break away.

Experience Old Edinburgh

Whilst, sadly the 2014 Commonwealth Games are over, Scotland showed once again that we can keep up with the best of them by taking 19 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze medals, landing in fourth place overall.

We at The Real Mary King’s Close had some fantastic visitors this year, who came along to share The Real Mary King’s Close experience in-between watching their chosen events during the Games. We had visitors from many of the Commonwealth countries, and they had a great time as we took them on a historical and spooky trip through the underbelly of Edinburgh life in 1600's.

All about the Dark Truth

We offer a number of bespoke tours that takes guests on an one-hour experience with an interesting spin on all the ‘true' stories of the history of darkest deepest Edinburgh. Normal groups are about twenty in size, but we do also offer private tours for those wishing to experience the close alone. The ‘Dark Truth' tour ran as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe  throughout August, therefore those who stayed after the Commonwealth Games could spend time learning about the darker Edinburgh history. However, despite the gruesomeness of some stories, we’ve been told that many of our foreign visitors went away extremely happy and satisfied with their experience!

Meet Dr. George

You will hear stories about a number of different residents of the close including Dr. George Rae who kept people safe from the plague. You will also meet the Craig family, who were not so lucky, but hey, what are a few sores and warts among family, eh?  Dr. George and his faithful assistant the Foul Clenger will protect our guests from the Black Death that awaited the people of 1600 Edinburgh and see them out safely in the end. Check out our Trip Advisor reviews to see what our summer guests thought and then come along and enjoy the fun for yourself – we’re open all year round!

Fear with a Twist of Murder

The picturesque skyline of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh does plenty to hide the gruesome underbelly of what goes on beneath the dark streets of the historic city. Watch your step when you stroll along the ancient walkway because you could easily take a slip and fall into Mary King's Close where you will find the—not so secret—underground city waiting for you. The Real Mary King's Close has been welcoming tourists from many a different country for some time now, and the purpose is to show people how life was around the 1600's.

Take the Tour

Many a dark story and tale has been uncovered—albeit by accident—by researchers looking to learn about the history of the city. The murky past of Edinburgh kind of leaves you reeling in shock. You might not expect such gruesome and grotesque stories of murder and plague to come out of a city like Edinburgh, but come they do, and you can see them for real.

For the 2014 Festival Fringe, The Real Mary King's Close opened up to festival fans with The Dark Truth Tour. How about seeing some of the dirty deeds that happened during the 1600's and right up to the early 1900's? Then you have until Sunday 24th August to experience our special performance! The Dark Truth Tour has a special twist this year and, of course; we can't reveal it. However, we can tell you that it is grittier and scarier than ever, and all based in truth, the dark truth.  We have the ‘witch pricker’ and the ‘pillywinks’ test during our show and you will see some gruesome contraptions used as torture devices.

Spooky and Eerie Backdrops

The spooky backdrop of this unearthly story revolve around—among other things—Maggie Dickson, known as Half hang-it Maggie, of whose story you may have heard, but wait….you get the whole story on our tour. Join us for spooky stories and bitter twists to finish your festival experience.  Tickets can be purchased here for just £17.50.