Riddles Court hides behind a narrow stone archway on the Royal Mile, marked by a faded carved date of fifteen ninety-one. This merchant’s house once hosted King James the Sixth and his bride, Anne of Denmark, for a lavish banquet while the…
Old Town Closes and Wynds
Walk the steep, narrow alleys branching off the Royal Mile to see how medieval residents lived in vertical tenements. This downhill stroll takes you through quiet stone courtyards, hidden gardens, and historic lanes tucked behind the main street facades.
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1. Riddles Court
2. Lady Stair's Close
The lintel above the entrance to Lady Stair's Close bears the date sixteen twenty-two and the initials of its first residents, Sir William Gray and his wife. This narrow, stone-walled alleyway squeezes between the high buildings of the…
3. Advocate's Close
A stone archway marks the entrance to Advocate's Close, where the ground drops sharply away from the High Street toward the valley below. The narrow passage owes its name to the legal professionals who once crowded into the tall, cramped…
4. Tweeddale Court
Tweeddale Court hides behind a heavy stone archway on the Canongate, marked by a low, vaulted passage that feels like a shortcut into another century. This seventeenth century townhouse once belonged to the first Marquess of Tweeddale, and…
5. Bakehouse Close
Bakehouse Close earns its name from the seventeenth century, when it housed the bakery belonging to the Incorporation of Bakers. The alleyway narrows significantly, flanked by stone walls that still bear the soot and wear of hundreds of…
6. Dunbars Close
Dunbars Close is a narrow, stone-paved passage tucked away from the main road, opening into a lush, seventeenth-century style garden. Its entrance is marked by a modest archway that hides the quiet courtyard from the noise of the Royal…
7. White Horse Close
White Horse Close features a steep, cobblestone courtyard framed by crow-stepped gables and external stone stairs. It served as a staging post for travelers arriving in Edinburgh by coach in the seventeenth century. The White Horse Inn…