Historic Sites

Mary King’s Close is an award winning underground attraction located in the heart of the city on the Royal Mile and opposite St. Giles Cathedral. Tour Guides in period costumes guide visitors, through a confusing maze of streets and countless underground homes.  The guides tell a story of the city which was ravaged by plague and famine in the 1600’s.

The term “Close” is used in Scotland to refer to the passage way or entrance shared generally by tenement houses which were very common in the Old Town in Edinburgh from the 15th century. Edinburgh’s Closes were usually named after the most notable resident on the close. Papers show that Mary King would have been a well known businesswoman in the 1630’s, trading in textiles as well as sewing for a living. It was considered highly out of the ordinary for any close to be named after a woman in those days, indicating Mary’s reputation in the town.

Please be advised, if you are afraid of the dark or confined spaces it would be best to avoid this tour.  If you do decide to venture in to this wonderful attraction, flat comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Opening Times

April – October
Monday to Sunday – 10.00 – 21.00 (last tour)

November
Sunday 9.30am – 6.30pm (last tour)
Monday to Thursday 9am – 5.30pm (last tour)
Friday & Saturday 9.30am – 9pm (last tour)

December- March
Sunday to Thursday 10am – 5pm (last tour)
Friday & Saturday 10am – 9pm (last tour)

Admission Prices

• Adult £14.95
• Child (5 – 15 years) £8.95*
• Senior Citizen £12.95
• Student (ID required) £12.95
• Family (2 Adult + 2 Children) £40.50
• * not suitable for children under 5

More info can be found at the official site

Gazing at the impressive Scott Monument in central Edinburgh, the visitor might wonder: is it supposed to look this dark? The Gothic-style monument was made out of local Binnie sandstone which is said to attract dirt and to age very quickly; as a result it is strikingly dark and distinctive.

Built in 1841 as a tribute to writer Sir Walter Scott, the monument has a larger than life-sized statute of Scott at the base, depicted as thoughtfully pausing from his writing with his dog at his side. The monument was partially restored in 1999 with stone from the original quarry.

Stone figures of Sir Walter Scott’s characters from his fictional works adorn its numerous niches, from Ivanhoe and Friar Tuck from “Ivanhoe” to Rob Roy and Helen MacGregor of “Rob Roy.” The climb to the several viewing decks via narrow spiral staircases will reward the visitor with panoramic views over the city in every direction.

Opening Times and Prices

Opening times for the Scott Monument are as follows:

April through September:
Mon-Sun, 10am-7pm

October through March:
Mon-Sun, 10am-4pm

Admission Prices

Admission to Scott Monument is £5, for both adults and children.

Location

Address: East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh
Tourist Bus: Served by Edinburgh’s Hop-on Hop-off Tour Bus

One of the best examples of an 18th century townhouse, Georgian House in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh will delight visitors with its three floors of rooms faithfully furnished as they would have been around 1800 when the house was opened.

Rich in Scottish history, the house was designed by Robert Adams as a part of his project to develop Charlotte Square, a New Town mecca for the wealthy urbanites of the times. The last private owner of Georgian House was the fifth Marquess of Bute. It is now administered by the National Trust for Scotland.

Wandering through the elegant rooms, the visitor can almost hear echoes of the polite chatter of 18th century guests in the magnificent Grand Drawing Room (or imagine using it for a reception today!). Gazing at the immaculate white linen and fine china and silver in the Dining Room, it is easy to imagine guests being served a bountiful meal. Under the stairs, the servants would have been scurrying about in the Basement Kitchen which is fully restored and contains authentic collections of kitchenware.

Many of these townhouses included a staircase and cupola, always an interesting attraction. The artwork collection at Georgian House is exceptional.

Opening Times and Prices

Opening times for the Georgian House are as follows:

1 – 23 March, daily, 11am – 4.00pm (last admission 3.15)
24 March to 31 October, daily, 10.00am to 5.00pm (last admission 4.15)
1 – 30 November, daily, 11.00am to 4.00pm (last admission 3.15pm)
1 – 17 December, Thu-Sun, 11.00am to 4.00pm (last admission 3.15pm)

Admission Prices

Georgian House Entrance Prices

Adult £7.50; Senior £6; Family £17; Single Adult Family £12

Location

Address: 7 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
Tourist Bus: Served by Edinburgh’s Hop-on Hop-off Tour Bus

Nestled in central Edinburgh, Greyfriars Kirk is a Church of Scotland church with a history stretching back to 1602. The church itself has been renovated and restored, but its most famous feature is the ancient Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, a cemetery surrounding the church.

It is the burial site of many famous individuals such as James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, Regent of Scotland and Mary Erskine, founder of the Mary Erskine School. From the unmarked graves to the elaborate seventeenth century memorials of the rich and famous, the churchyard burial ground echoes with history and mystery.

Said to be haunted by ghosts and poltergeists, the Kirkyard is probably even more well-known for the story of Greyfriar’s Bobby. Bobby was a Skye Terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his master, John Gray, until the dog’s own death in 1872. He is buried outside the consecrated grounds.

For peaceful surroundings steeped in local lore, Greyfriar’s Kirk is a must-see location for visitor and native alike.

When merchant Thomas Gledstanes purchased the building which now bears his name in 1617, it had a wooden facade and a wooden gallery above the floor – a typical house of the 16th Century. Gledstane modernized it, replacing the wooden facade with stone arches and let out parts of the building to an assortment of tenants of different social classes.

The term “land” has been used for multi-storey apartment buildings which were built in Edinburgh due to lack of space at the time, some reaching 10 storeys in height. The wealthy citizens lived in the middle floors, while the poor resided at ground level or on the top floor.

Gladstone’s Land is the only surviving version of a town house from the 17th Century. It was taken over by the National Trust in 1934, who have since restored the first two floors of the building. As in ancient times one enters the house through a little shop on the ground floor where food stored in barrels was sold by the yard – the yard stick can still be seen on the wall.

The rooms upstairs are equipped with original furniture from the 17th Century.The kitchen has been faithfully reconstructed with utensils and furniture which mimic the former design. Ceiling paintings in the “Painted Chamber” originating from the year 1620 are evidence of a then very popular form of room decoration in Scotland, have since been restored to their former glory.

More information can be found at the Official Site.

How to get there

477b Lawnmarket, Edinburgh
Served by Edinburgh’s Hop-on Hop-off Tour Bus

Opening Times

1 April – 31 October daily 10:00-5:00 (last admission 4:30).

July & August 10:00-6:30 (last admission 6:00)

Admission Prices

Adult – £6
Family – £15.50
1 parent – £10.50
Concession – £5

Accommodation

Click here to find Hotels near Gladstone’s Land