‘Up Close and Personal': Virtual historical tour of Mary King's Close to grace lockdown home screens

One of the Capital’s most popular historical attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close, has launched the first virtual event in its ‘Up Close and Personal’ live series.

The first online historical event on the Close will be on Saturday, February, 20 at 7pm (Photo: The Real Mary King’s Close).

The unique historical site located in the Old Town area of Edinburgh, which explores historic streets now buried underneath the Royal Mile, will broadcast its first event on Saturday, February, 20 at 7pm.

The one-hour broadcast will delve deep into the murky history of The Close, covering over 500 years of the street’s secrets.

The event will bring some of its past residents to life, starting with the eponymous Mary King herself.

Actor playing Mary King for the virtual event (Photo: The Real Mary King’s Close).

Viewers will learn how The Close came to be built over and will be introduced to newly discovered information about life on The Close that has never been shared before.

As every nook and cranny is explored live, two expert presenters will be telling the tales of the hidden alleyways and answering viewers’ questions.

Paul Nixon, General Manager of The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “It saddened us to close The Close back in December due to the latest set of Covid-19 restrictions.

"Its fascinating history has captured the imaginations of people from across the world, so we’ve worked hard to launch this series of live streamed events.

Actor playing a 17th century plague doctor. Due to the unsanitary living conditions and an influx of flea-infested rodents, Edinburgh became overrun with bubonic plague, with the worst hitting in 1645. Around 1750, Mary King’s Close closed due to hygiene issues, dilapidation and intense overcrowding (Photo: The Real Mary King’s Close).

"We wanted to create a series that could be enjoyed by both past visitors and those who haven’t had the chance to visit us yet.

"The format provides the opportunity to engage personally with our guides so it’s a really unique experience.

"While we have been closed, we’ve also been able to delve into our archives and discovered previously untold stories about the Close’s history, which we’re looking forward to sharing with viewers”

The first event costs £12 per household and is suitable for all ages – you can buy tickets here.

The Real Mary King’s Close.

The event will bring to life some of the actual characters who once lived on the streets: from Agnes Chambers and eighteenth century revolutionary John Oswald, to Mr. Chesney, the last resident of the Close who lived there until 1897.

The idea came as a result of the success of The Close’s first live interactive paranormal investigation which was broadcast in November 2020.

It attracted hundreds of viewers from 42 different nationalities around the world.

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