New special tour platforms the story of Marie Maitland, brought to life in underground experience journeying through centuries of LGBTQIA+ history
To celebrate Pride Month, The Real Mary King’s Close is hosting a series of educational and thought-provoking ‘Pride History Tours’, designed to reveal the hidden histories of LGBTQIA+ community life in Edinburgh from as far back as 1546 until 1912.
As part of the tour, The Real Mary King’s Close will shine a light on Marie Maitland. Born in 1550, Maitland was a poet whose work was compared by contemporaries to that of Sappho, the Ancient Greek lesbian poet from the Isle of Lesbos, and wrote one of the first poems in Europe about same-sex love between women.
Maitland’s story has been researched by Adam Armstrong, one of the Tour Guides at The Real Mary King’s Close, with the research verified by Dr Michael Penman from the University of Stirling, and will be told as part of the new special tour.
The LGBTQIA+ community tend to be missing from the history books, and it can often be difficult to imagine the struggles they had to face throughout the centuries. This 1-hour guided tour, led by the renowned Scottish poet, Robert Fergusson, or Marie Maitland, allows guests the chance to journey beneath the iconic Royal Mile to learn about key moments in history, influential figures who paved the way for change and those who tried to stand in their way.
Whilst wandering through the now-hidden streets, guests will discover real stories from real people. During the tour, Sophia Jex-Blake and Dr James Barry will also shed light on their successes as well as the struggles they faced as LGBTQIA+ identifying members of the community.
During Pride month, it’s important to look back as well as forward, to realise how much the discourse around sexuality has evolved over the years.
The vocabulary and terms used today to describe sexuality didn’t exist until around the mid-20th century. When talking of homosexuality from the 16th to 19th century, it was described in various terms such as “buggery” and “sodomy”. If someone was seen to be disobeying the heteronormative codes of society, they would be brutally condemned, ostracised and even sentenced to death.
Participation in The Real Mary King’s Close Pride Tours will provide guests with a deeper understanding and nuanced insight of the history of the LGBTQIA+ community in Edinburgh and in Scotland.
The specially curated tours actively support the health, well-being, and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex young people through its partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “We’re so excited that our Pride Tours are back for Pride Month this June. It was such an amazing experience last year welcoming so many people to The Close and celebrating diversity, resilience and the importance of inclusivity throughout the centuries.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with LGBT Youth Scotland, they are such an incredible organisation with a powerful message which we are passionate about voicing and helping in any way we can.
“We both share a mutual aim to encourage acceptance and community through storytelling and this is something we have encapsulated together in our specially curated tour. We can’t wait to welcome everyone, share our knowledge of the past and help shape the future.”
Tours will be running throughout June, every Friday and Saturday at 17.30 and 19.00. Prices are £25 per adult / £19 per child.
For more information and bookings please visit:
https://bookings.realmarykingsclose.com/book/pride-history-tours-2023/160
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