Against the iconic backdrop of Calton Hill, performers from across the globe, strike heroic poses, capturing the essence of this year’s theme:The Heroes Who Made Us.
The milestone event promises to celebrate the past, while imagining the future of the Tattoo. Taking audiences back to where it all began in 1950, with the British Army taking on the prestigious role of the Lead Service, the Show will present music, dance and performance that make up the last 75 years of the Tattoo story and beyond.
Featured in the photography are The Massed Band of the British Army, The Orchestra of the Naval Forces of the Defence Forces of Ukraine, The Representative of the Polish Border Guard, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Performers, Top Secret Drum Corps, United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team and United States Old Guard Fife and Drums.
Tickets for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s 75th anniversary Show are now on sale and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone, 0131 225 1188. The Show will run from 1-23 August 2025.
Two prominent Edinburgh sculptures have been given new names after being lovingly restored to their former glory as part of a wider conservation project at one of the city’s most iconic visitor attractions.
Perched above the historic Scotch Whisky Experience at the top of the Royal Mile, the pair of unicorns, long stripped of their horns by time and weather, have now been fully reinstated through a major heritage-led restoration of the building.
A naming competition, launched in partnership with Forever Edinburgh, attracted hundreds of creative suggestions from locals and visitors alike.
The winning names, Deoch and Doras, were chosen by the public in a witty and affectionate nod to the Gaelic phrase deoch an dorais, meaning “a farewell drink” or “one for the road”, literally “drink of the door.”
One of the winners, Archie Hamilton, noted the Harry Lauder song, A Wee Deoch An Doris, which captures the spirit of the tradition, as he explained the inspiration behind the names: “Deoch an dorus’ just seemed natural for the Unicorns, our national animal.
“With Gaelic being our national language, plus the whisky link through the old Harry Lauder song, what better option!”
Julie Trevisan Hunter, Marketing Director at The Scotch Whisky Experience, said: “We were genuinely moved by the imagination and thought that people put into naming the unicorns.
“Many of the more than 1,500 suggestions reflected deep affection for Scotland’s culture, language and folklore, which is exactly the kind of connection we hope to inspire as we bring the world of Scotch whisky to life. ‘Deoch and Doras’ captured something uniquely Scottish while being warm, fun and rooted in tradition.”
Among the many entries were names drawn from Scottish landscapes and whisky regions and history, and some playful puns such as Whisker & Snifter. Others favoured names from popular children’s stories, reflecting the unicorns’ imaginative appeal across generations, and there were many Gaelic references.
Ealasaid MacDonald, Ceannard (CEO) of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the main public body for promoting and developing Gaelic language and culture in Scotland, praised the decision to use Gaelic, saying: “I was delighted to hear from the Scotch Whisky Experience that Gaelic featured so prominently in their highly successful search for strong Scottish names for their unicorns.
“This highlights the understanding and appreciation of Gaelic when we celebrate the old and the new in Scottish culture, underlining its importance as a national cultural and economic asset. I’m sure the newly restored Deoch and Doras will provide a warm Gaelic welcome to everyone that visits.”
The unicorn restoration is part of a major project to preserve the integrity of The Scotch Whisky Experience’s historic site while enhancing its visitor experience. Susan Morrison, Chief Executive of The Scotch Whisky Experience explained that:
“The building’s recent conservation programme has been guided by a deep respect for our setting next to Edinburgh Castle and a commitment to our role as gateway for the appreciation of Scotland’s national drink and rich cultural heritage.
“Deoch and Doras now feel not only restored but brought back to life by the public, with names that will interest and spark curiosity in visitors at the threshold for years to come.”
A public garden at the end of the Royal Mile is celebrating its fifth anniversary, having welcomed thousands of visitors and engaged hundreds of local children and adults in events and workshops since it opened in 2020.
The Physic Garden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, located just outside the monarch’s official residence in Scotland, is a free-to-visit garden that can be enjoyed year-round by the people of Edinburgh and visitors to the Palace. Its fifth anniversary will be marked by an episode of the longstanding BBC Scotland gardening programme Beechgrove Garden, airing this week.
The Physic Garden is located beside the Palace’s Abbey Strand Learning Centre, and over the past five years, more than 360 pupils from schools both local and further afield have taken part in educational sessions, with children learning how plants were used historically as remedies to improve health and wellbeing.
A further 400 ethnobotany students,members of community gardens and nature-lovers of all ages have taken part in guided visits and events, reviving the garden’s centuries-old original purpose of teaching the medicinal properties of plants.
The Physic Garden was opened in 2020 to recreate some of the earliest recorded gardens in the Palace grounds, with three distinct sections each representing different periods in the Palace’s 900-year history.
Raised beds of herbs, flowers, and other useful plants reimagine the physic garden that was established in the Palace grounds 350 years ago by the doctors Sir Robert Sibbald and Sir Andrew Balfour, two founding members of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
Created in 1670 to teach students about the medicinal properties of plants and to provide pharmacists with fresh medicinal ingredients, the Palace’s original physic garden was the first of its kind in Scotland and the forerunner to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The new physic garden contains medicinal and culinary plants that would have grown in the 17th-century garden, including fennel – once used to aid eyesight and as an antidote to poisonous mushrooms – and lavender, bergamot and lemon balm, used for scents, dyes and insecticides.
A flowering meadow of medicinal plants including daisies, previously used for coughs, and mallows, an old treatment for scurvy, evokes the 15th-century monastic gardens of Holyrood Abbey, once one of the grandest medieval abbeys in Scotland, the ruins of which can still be seen today on a visit to the Palace.
The third area delights in late winter and spring with crocuses and tulips planted in geometric patterns, typical of17th-century gardens. With such a variety of plants and styles, the garden has year-round appeal for locals and visitors curious to learn about local history and historic natural remedies.
Abbey Strand gardens Palace of Holyroodhouse Edinburgh.Photograph David Cheskin.
Chris Walker, Learning Manager, Royal Collection Trust, said: ‘The Physic Garden is an oasis at the end of the Royal Mile, providing a welcoming green space in the city centre where locals and visitors alike can get outside, enjoy nature and learn some fascinating local history.
‘We are delighted that almost 800 people have taken part in exciting activities where nature, science and history meet, in addition to the countless others who enjoy this free community garden every day. Like our forebears 350 years ago, we understand the benefits of spending time in nature for our physical and mental wellbeing, and we hope the garden can be enjoyed for many more years to come.’
Tying in with the anniversary, BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden paid a visit to the Physic Garden, with its presenter and gardener George Anderson retracing the garden’s history alongside Emma Stead, Curator at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Johanna Lausen-Higgins, Garden History Lecturer at the Education department of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
In the episode, which will air on BBC Scotland and BBC Two from Thursday, 17 July onwards (Monday 21 July, 14:00 on BBC Scotland, Thursday 24 July, 06:45 on BBC Two) , Anderson discovers the historic uses of the medicinal and culinary plants still growing in the garden today, including Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum), used in the past to repel ticks and lice in bedchambers.
He also views a rare copy of the Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s archives – a catalogue of the 3,000 plants growing in the Physic Garden in the 1680s.
Physic garden Abbey Strand building Holyroodhouse,Edinburgh.Photograph David Cheskin.29.09.2020.
Royal Collection Trust will offer a programme of events and school sessions in the Physic Garden celebrate the anniversary:
After a tour of the garden’s flowers, florist and Royal Warrant holder Lottie Longman will show participants how to harvest foliage from the wildflower meadow to create a bouquet to take home.
After a tour of the Physic Garden, Lottie Longman will teach participants how to create beautiful wreaths of freshly picked flowers, which can be dried naturally at home.
In this outdoor learning session, pupils will learn how the canons of Holyrood Abbey lived 900 years ago, growing flowers, herbs and vegetables to eat and concoct natural remedies. Children will learn how to use quills and gather flowers, leaves and twigs to make and record their own remedy.
Available for schools to book in termtime, 2 hours
School groups will learn how Holyrood Abbey’s medieval canons grew medicinal plants to help and heal their local community, before hearing the story of the two 17th-century Scottish doctors who created the Physic Garden and making their own traditional remedy. The visit includes access to the Physic Garden, the Palace of Holyroodhouse Gardens, Holyrood Abbey, and the Abbey Strand Learning Centre.
With the summer festivals season fast approaching, the city council is making temporary changes to the way some of our city centre streets operate between Thursday 24 July and Sunday 7 September 2025.
During this busy period the population of our city effectively doubles, which brings challenges for residents, businesses and visitors.
These temporary changes, which include removing or restricting vehicle traffic, are designed to make our streets easier and safer to walk around.
There is also specific advice for blue badge holders, home deliveries, loading and services for businesses, places of worship and special arrangements.
Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “As we prepare to welcome the world to Edinburgh for our summer festivals, we’re making sure that these higher visitor numbers are managed safely and properly.
“We’ve made temporary changes to our city centre streets successfully during this period for many years and I’m sure that this summer will be no different.
“I’d like to thank our residents and businesses for their understanding and patience as we get ready to showcase and enjoy our city’s unparalleled cultural offering once again.”
Featuring images from Historic Environment Scotland’s archives, the exhibition charts their innovation and growth from the 17th century through their continued evolution in response to the changing needs of society to become the varied public services they are today.
The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of the 1925 ‘National Library of Scotland Act’, which saw the establishment of the National Library of Scotland, one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom.
Across the road, The National Library of Scotland has also opened an exhibition to commemorate their centenary. ‘Dear Library’ is described as a love letter to libraries, aiming to give visitors a whole new perspective on how libraries can help you, and how you can help them.
Browse bookshelves in an open reading room filled with recommendations from the public and well-known Scottish figures. See libraries in popular culture, protest banners and badges, vintage film footage, and more.
Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “Through this exhibition, we’re shining a light on the vital part libraries play in Scotland’s social history, illuminating the continuing importance of these places in our lives today.
“It’s wonderful to be opening this exhibition at Edinburgh Central Library, a very fitting venue and the first public library building in the city, opening in 1890.
“It’s also just across the road from the National Library of Scotland, so I hope visitors enjoy exploring both of our exhibitions and discovering more about the fascinating world of libraries.”
Martha Burns Findlay, Head of Public Programmes at the National Library of Scotland, said: “We’re delighted that Historic Environment Scotland’s new display at Edinburgh’s Central Library will coincide with our own ‘Dear Library’ exhibition across the road at the National Library of Scotland.
“In our 100th year we’re championing the vital role that libraries play in Scotland, so the twinned exhibitions provide a great opportunity for people to rekindle their love of libraries.”
Dynamic Earth launches its Toddler Tidal and Deep-Sea Discovery Zones for little ones across the Capital
This summer Dynamic Earth is encouraging wee ones from across Edinburgh, and surrounding regions, to set sail on a magical underwater adventure at the city’s leading Science Centre and Planetarium.
With the launch of Ocean Commotion Soft Play on June 23rd, the venue aims to provide accessible, stimulating and interactive engagement opportunities for little ones needing to let off some steam and spark their curiosity in our planet.
For just £4, kids aged 0-6 can expect to explore, climb, splash (not literally!), and play away in the ocean-themed interactive costal escape. No booking required for this fun, interactive soft play.
With every corner of Ocean Commotion designed to boost your child’s development through play, whether they’re learning to crawl, climb, or conquer new challenges, kids are sure to have some fintastic fun beneath the waves!
Sea Turtle Sanctuary – Allow your littlest adventurers to safely drift, crawl and discover Dynamic Earth’s serene ocean cove.
Toddler Tidal Zone – Let wee ones (recommended 12 months plus) build, slide and grow their confidence as they explore the world around them.
Junior Deep-Sea Discovery Zone – Bigger adventures for your budding explorers. Take the training wheels off and scale Dynamic Earth’s rock-climbing reef, before taking part in interactive activities that fuel both skill and imagination
Parents who want to let their little star(fishes) have fun in the venue’s brand-new interactive ocean escape can pay-on-the-day, with £4 granting their wee ones *unlimited access to Dynamic Earth’s world beneath the waves.
The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics returns this August with a three-day programme of over 30 events, taking place in Holyrood, the home of Scottish politics between Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 August 2025.
BBC journalist Clive Myrie will appear as part of the line-up this year, in conversation with the Deputy Presiding Officer Liam McArthur MSP where he will discuss his incredible 30-year broadcasting career.
Professor Danny Dorling, renowned social geographer, will explore the impact of politics on the UK’s housing, education, poverty and inequality levels, and will offer robust solutions on how to address these challenges of our age.
In addition, our Festival programme features leading experts from the worlds of politics, the arts, business, the media and the third sector. With events on topics tackling some of the big issues facing Scotland, the UK and the world such as the use of AI, peace in the Middle East, how we tackle misogyny and our use of technology.
The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “This year’s Festival promises lively debates, thought-provoking panels and inspiring voices tackling some of the most pressing social, political and environmental issues of our time.”
In addition, there is a lively free programme of entertainment, exhibitions and even a robot in the Festival Café Bar.
Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Titian will be among 45 Italian Renaissance drawings going on display in Scotland for the first time this October, as part of an exhibition featuring more than 80 drawings by 57 artists – the most wide-ranging show of its kind in Scotland in over half a century.
Following a successful run in London, Drawing the Italian Renaissance will open at The King’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on 17 October 2025. The exhibition will explore how drawing was key to artistic practice in all fields during the Italian Renaissance and will reveal how dynamic the art of drawing became during this revolutionary artistic period.
Lauren Porter, curator of Drawing the Italian Renaissance in Edinburgh, said: ‘The Royal Collection holds one of the finest collections of Italian Renaissance drawings, many of which were acquired during the reign of Charles II.
“The drawings cannot be on permanent display because of their sensitivity to light, so this exhibition offers a rare and exciting opportunity for visitors to see a wide variety of works from this great collection, many of which are on display in Scotland for the first time.
“Drawings were fundamental to the art of the Renaissance, allowing artists to conceive and explore ideas, refine their designs and to experiment. Being able to view these drawings so closely will give visitors a unique insight into the minds of these great Italian Renaissance artists.”
The exhibition will highlight the continued relevance of drawing today as an essential part of many artists’ practice. Two Artists in Residence,both alumni of Edinburgh College of Art and appointed in collaboration with the School, will be drawing in the Gallery on selected days throughout the exhibition’s run.
Visitors to the exhibition will also be encouraged to take inspiration from the works on display and try their hand at drawing with pencils and paper available in the Gallery.
Most drawings from the Italian Renaissance were created as preparation for projects in a variety of media, from paintings and prints to architecture, sculpture, metalwork, tapestry and costume.
They were often discarded after they had served their purpose, and only a small proportion have survived to the present day.As the drawings in the Royal Collection have been carefully preserved for hundreds of years, they can be enjoyed almost as vividly as when they were created.
The oldest drawing in the exhibition, in which an unknown artist depicts a young man sitting and drawing with a sleeping dog by his side, is around 550 years old and will be exhibited in Scotland for the first time.
Also on display for the first time in Scotland will be an elaborately worked drawing in red and black chalk on red prepared paper of the curly-haired head of a young man by Leonardo da Vinci, and Federico Barocci’s drawing of The head of the Virgin in delicately blended colourful chalks.
The idealised features of these two head studies contrast with the distorted and tormented facial expression of the grotesque head drawn by Michelangelo which will be displayed nearby.
Many drawings in the exhibition are religious in their subject matter, including Raphael’sChrist’s Charge to Peter, which is one of his designs for a tapestry to be hung in the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo’s The Virgin and Child with the young Baptist, which may have been created as a preparatory study for a sculpture or perhaps as a private act of devotion.
On display for the first time in Scotland, following extensive conservation work before the London exhibition, will be a cartoon for an altarpiece of the Virgin and Child by the late-Renaissance artist Bernardino Campi.
Cartoons, which were large sheets of paper used to transfer a final design onto a painting’s surface, were often executed on poor-quality paper and were never intended to be kept – let alone displayed.
It took almost 120 hours of conservation work by Royal Collection Trust conservators to prepare the work to be exhibited, which involved painstakingly removing the drawing from its deteriorating canvas backing and supporting sections where the paper had become as delicate as lace.
The exhibition includes many preparatory drawings for the applied arts. These drawings would be used by specialist craftsmen to translate the artist’s design into another medium. Included in the exhibition is a colourful design for a painted wooden ceiling incorporating the scene of David slaying Goliath by an unidentified Roman artist, and an extravagant and asymmetrical 1.36-metre-high design for a candelabrum which features a riot of different motifs – presumably acting almost as a menu, from which a patron could select the elements he liked the most.
A section of the exhibition will examine how Italian Renaissance artists observed and explored the natural world, from a study of a branch of a blackberry bush by Leonardo da Vinci, capturing the vigorous nature of the bramble’s growth, to a drawing attributed to the Venetian artist Titian of an ostrich, believed to have been drawn from life, perhaps when the animal arrived after being imported into the port city as an exotic curiosity.
As well as works by the most famous names of the Italian Renaissance, the exhibition will give visitors an insight into the work of lesser-known artists who produced some of the finest drawings of the period.
Many of these works have never been shown in Scotland before and include a striking charcoal portrait of the head of a youth, which has been attributed to Pietro Faccini, and the imposing pen and ink drawing of a seated St Jerome by Bartolomeo Passarotti.
Following a successful launch in 2024, The King’s Gallery will continue to offer £1 tickets to this exhibition for visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits.
Further concessionary rates are available, including discounted tickets for young people, half-price entry for children (with under-fives free), and the option to convert standard tickets bought directly from Royal Collection Trust into a 1-Year Pass for unlimited re-entry for 12 months.
Visitors to St Giles’ Cathedral will come face-to-face with those of the first ‘Edinburghers’ in a new exhibition as part of Edinburgh 900 celebrations.
Marking the joint 900th anniversaries of both Edinburgh and St Giles’ Cathedral, this extraordinary exhibition presents the results of new scientific research into the medieval citizens buried within the grounds of the Cathedral.
Originally excavated in 1981, these remains have undergone new detailed analysis using advanced methods including ancient DNA sequencing, isotopic analysis, radiocarbon dating, and forensic facial reconstruction.
This collaborative project offers a compelling look at the lives, diets, health, origins, and identities of Edinburgh’s earliest residents.
The exhibition will feature:
Facial reconstructions of five individuals by Maria Maclennan, projected throughout the Cathedral using immersive lighting designs by artist Mettje Hunneman.
A specially commissioned short documentary by Cinetopia, featuring interviews with the research team and members of the Cathedral community.
A focus on three key burial groups – individuals from the birth of the burgh and foundation of the Cathedral in the 12th century, two 15th-century male pilgrims and eight women buried inside the Chapel of Our Lady between the 15th and 16th centuries.
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, said:“This exhibition invites visitors to travel back through nine centuries of Edinburgh’s history, to meet the earliest people who called this city home. Thanks to scientific research and creative collaboration, we are able to share new insights into their lives, origins, health, and identities and, to actually see their faces once again.
“Edinburgh 900 is a year-long celebration of our city’s rich history, culture, and bright future. This exhibition brings the faces of our very first residents to life for our audiences of today. My thanks to our partners, scientists, artists, and all those whose contributions have brought this exhibition to life.”
City of Edinburgh Council Archaeologist John Lawson added: “This has been a fascinating project that brings together new archaeological science and the creative arts to tell the story of Edinburgh’s first residents in an imaginative and exciting way.
“Visitors to the exhibition will come face-to-face with the first inhabitants of the city, ordinary individuals who lived through extraordinary chapters of history. While we are accustomed to the tales of the famous and powerful, this project shifts the spotlight to the everyday citizens, telling their stories in the very place they once walked, worshipped, and were laid to rest.
“To honour their lives in such a meaningful location has been a rare and powerful opportunity. It’s been an immensely rewarding partnership to be part of, and I’m grateful to the church, talented specialists and the artists whose hard work and dedication have have helped to tell these stories.”
Sarah Phemister, Head of Heritage and Culture, St Giles’ Cathedral, said: “This exhibition is a celebration of the remarkable talent, collaboration, and creativity of the scientists and artists who have breathed life into the faces of the past.
“Their work connects us across centuries, reminding us that St Giles’ has always been a place where history, innovation, and human stories have met at the very heart of Edinburgh.”
Free and open to the public from 6 June to 30 November 2025, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the Cathedral’s medieval past in a new way—bringing faces and stories from Edinburgh’s early history to life.
Maria Maclennan, Senior Lecturer School of Design, Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) The University of Edinburgh, said:“It has been an enormous privilege to contribute to such a fascinating and interdisciplinary project, which adopted a truly interdisciplinary approach requiring collaboration on the part of many.
“Each craniofacial approximation involved the marriage of archaeological evidence together with myriad scientific analyses undertaken by the research team, to help inform final facial appearance: forensic anthropology, radiocarbon dating, isotopic signature, DNA profiling, and forensic-artistic techniques.
“Craniofacial Approximation is a hybrid sci-art practice dedicated to restoring the face of an unknown individual from their skeletal remains. In archaeological contexts, as is seen here in St. Giles’ Cathedral, the practice is often an important means of restoring visibility, identity, and humanity to those long lost or forgotten, and/or in promoting education and encouraging public engagement with historical figures of interest from the past.
“For each reconstruction, I produced both a more ‘neutral’ face (depicting how the individual may present in contemporary day Edinburgh), in addition to a ‘historical’ face, depicting the individual dressed in clothing/artefacts typical of the time in which they lived.”
Dr Tobias Houlton, Lecturer in Craniofacial Identification and Forensic Imaging at University of Dundee, said:“This exhibition marks a significant milestone in the longstanding partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council Archaeology Service (CECAS) and the University of Dundee.
“While this particular project has been a year in the making, it builds on many years of collaboration and graduate involvement from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID). It provides a unique opportunity for CAHID graduates to further develop their expertise in facial identification while contributing to meaningful research in partnership with CECAS.
“The exhibition showcases the powerful synergy between science and art in restoring the faces of Edinburgh’s earliest citizens and enriching our understanding of the city’s medieval past.”
This project has been made possible with support from Historic Environment Scotland, and all partner organisations.
– The Real Mary King’s Close and The Lost Close partner for the first time to reveal a forgotten side of Edinburgh’s rich history –
This summer, Edinburgh visitors and locals can delve beneath the city’s streets and explore not one, but two of its best-kept secrets thanks to a new underground experience that unites The Real Mary King’s Close and The Lost Close for the very first time.
Launching on Thursday 19th June and running every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 30th August, this exclusive dual-site tour invites guests to journey through two unique underground closes.
The experience begins at The Lost Close, where guests gather at the historic John’s Coffee House – once a vibrant meeting place for Scottish Enlightenment thinkers like Adam Smith and David Hume.
From there, guests will descend into underground vaults and a close sealed off for nearly 200 years following Edinburgh’s Great Fire, only rediscovered in 2019. Guided by an expert storyteller, learn about the fascinating journey of coffee in Scotland, from its early trade roots to the rise of the city’s first coffeehouses and their enduring influence today.
During the tour, guests will enjoy a cup of specialty coffee from local roaster, Common Coffee, before encountering one of the most extraordinary industrial discoveries in recent Scottish history: the world’s second-oldest surviving Crossley four-stroke engine. Originally installed at the Royal Aquarium and later used to ventilate the city’s police chambers, this rare Victorian relic offers a remarkable glimpse into Edinburgh’s innovative past.
Following the 35-minute Coffee Tour at The Lost Close, the journey continues just a few steps away at The Real Mary King’s Close, one of Scotland’s most celebrated heritage attractions. Voted the UK’s best tourist attraction in the Tripadvisor® Travellers’ Choice® Awards – Best of the Best for 2024, the award-winning experience invites guests to step directly into 17th-century Edinburgh.
Led by character guides, guests explore a perfectly preserved warren of underground streets, homes and passageways that once bustled with life above ground. As the Close was gradually buried under the foundations of the Royal Exchange, its stories were sealed in time.
On the immersive one-hour tour, guests will uncover tales of plague, poverty, politics and the perseverance of residents who once called the Close home. Rich in historical detail and theatrical storytelling, The Real Mary King’s Close offers an unfiltered look at Edinburgh’s hidden past and the people who shaped its future.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said:“We’re delighted to be partnering with The Lost Close to offer a fresh and unique way to experience Edinburgh’s hidden history.
“This joint ticket gives our visitors a rare chance to explore two underground closes in one morning, each with its own powerful story. From coffee culture and Enlightenment thinking to industrial innovation and everyday life, it’s a journey through the layers that have shaped the city we know today.
“We expect this to be a highly popular experience and anticipate that tickets will sell out quickly.”
Copyright James Armandary Photography
James Armandary, Tourism Development Lead at The Lost Close, added:“This partnership with The Real Mary King’s Close is an exciting first for us at The Lost Close.
“With one ticket, guests can explore two very different underground closes and uncover the rich, hidden history they share – from the story of coffee in Scotland to the everyday lives of people who once walked these streets. It’s a unique way to experience Edinburgh’s past from two fascinating perspectives.”
Tours last approximately 1 hour 45 mins. Tickets are priced at £40, including access to both tours and a cup of coffee, making it the perfect experience to start your day. With a maximum of 12 guests per session, availability is limited, and early booking is advised.
Tour Schedule:
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 19th June – 30th August.
09:15 – 09:50: Coffee Tour at The Lost Close
10:00 – 11:00: Guided tour at The Real Mary King’s Close
