The secret closes of Edinburgh’s Old Town — and what hides at the end of each one

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Walk the Royal Mile and you’ll see them. Narrow gaps between the stone buildings, dark passages leading away from the crowds. Most people glance in and walk on. But step inside and you enter a different Edinburgh altogether — quieter, older, and far more interesting.

These are Edinburgh’s closes. And if you know which ones to explore, they’ll show you the medieval city behind the tourist trail.

What exactly is a close?

A close (from the Old French clos, meaning enclosed) is a narrow alleyway leading off a main street, often opening into a courtyard. Edinburgh once had over 100 closes branching off the Royal Mile alone. They were the veins of the medieval city — packed with merchants, tradespeople, and tenement dwellers living six or eight storeys above the cobbles.

Most are named after the families, trades, or businesses that once claimed them. Step into one and you’re stepping into a name — and a story.

Advocate’s Close: the best view in Edinburgh

Halfway up the Royal Mile, you’ll find Advocate’s Close. It doesn’t look like much from the top — just a steep staircase plunging away from the noise. But walk down a few steps and you’re rewarded with one of Edinburgh’s most dramatic views: the spires and rooftops of the New Town stretching toward the Firth of Forth, framed by ancient stone.

It’s been called one of the most photographed spots in the city. On a clear morning, the view is extraordinary. On a misty evening, it’s another thing entirely.

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Brodie’s Close: where Deacon Brodie drank

Head a little further down toward the Lawnmarket and you’ll find Brodie’s Close. This alley was named after Deacon William Brodie — a respected Edinburgh councillor by day and a burglar by night. His double life inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

The close itself is unremarkable to look at, which is rather fitting given its most famous former resident. But knowing the story changes the feeling of the place entirely. Read the full story of Deacon Brodie here.

White Horse Close: the prettiest corner of the Old Town

At the very foot of the Royal Mile, tucked beside the entrance to Holyrood Palace, lies White Horse Close. It’s arguably the most beautiful close in Edinburgh — a cobblestoned courtyard flanked by whitewashed 17th-century buildings that once served as a coaching inn and stable yard.

Stagecoaches ran from here all the way to London. Today, it’s quiet and almost entirely tourist-free. Most visitors to Holyrood walk straight past it without a second glance. Don’t be one of them.

Bakehouse Close: Edinburgh on screen

Along the Canongate you’ll find Bakehouse Close — atmospheric, dark, and recently famous as the setting for several scenes in the TV series Outlander. The close leads to Huntly House, now home to Edinburgh’s City Museum, which is well worth the visit.

The stonework here is remarkable: thick, blackened, and centuries deep. Even if you’ve never watched Outlander, stand here long enough and it’s not hard to understand why this place keeps showing up on screen.

Dunbar’s Close and Riddle’s Court

Dunbar’s Close hides one of the city’s best-kept secrets — a restored 17th-century garden completely invisible from the street. Riddle’s Court, a few minutes’ walk further up the hill, is one of Edinburgh’s oldest surviving courtyard buildings, its Renaissance stonework almost untouched since the 1590s.

Both are within easy walking distance of each other. Both are almost always quiet. And both reward the kind of slow exploration that the Royal Mile itself rarely allows.

For more hidden corners of Scotland, lovetovisitscotland.com has guides to the country’s most overlooked places.

FAQ: Edinburgh’s secret closes

How many closes are there on the Royal Mile?

The Royal Mile alone has over 100 closes and wynds, though not all are accessible to the public. Many are now private entrances to offices or residential buildings. Around a dozen are well-known, open to visitors, and well worth exploring on foot.

Are Edinburgh’s closes safe to walk through?

Yes — during daylight hours, Edinburgh’s closes are perfectly safe to explore. They’re part of the city’s everyday public fabric. Some are darker and narrower than others, but they’re well-used routes through the Old Town and nothing to be concerned about.

Is Mary King’s Close different from the open-air closes?

Very different. Mary King’s Close is a fully buried 17th-century street preserved underground beneath the City Chambers. It’s a ticketed attraction rather than a public passageway. Read the full story of Mary King’s Close here.

Edinburgh’s closes are the city’s honest side — unpolished, unlit, and unapologetically old. They don’t ask you to linger. But if you do, they give back something the Royal Mile itself cannot: the feeling that you’ve found something real.

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