Mary King’s Close sits beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and is known as one of the city’s most haunted locations. This cluster of underground streets and homes has a long history filled with hardship, disease, and tragedy, which many believe has led to the strange phenomena reported there. Exploring the Close today takes visitors through a gloomy maze where old stories come alive, mixing real history with centuries of ghost tales.
The Close gets its name from Mary King, a businesswoman who lived there in the seventeenth century. Back then, the area was packed with families and tradespeople. When the Royal Exchange was built in the 1750s, much of Mary King’s Close was closed off and built over, leaving several rooms and streets sealed underground. This hidden world stayed untouched for years, and its atmosphere is still shaped by the damp air, tight passageways, and the memories left behind.
Life here was tough. Overcrowding and poor sanitation made it a difficult place to live, especially for poorer residents. Conditions became even worse in the mid-1600s when the plague hit Edinburgh. The city tried to stop the spread by locking entire closes and families inside, cutting them off from the world above. Reports suggest that some people were left to die in these sealed rooms, and their suffering is often blamed for the hauntings today.
Many visitors to Mary King’s Close say they feel a heavy, cold atmosphere as soon as they walk in. Tour guides often mention moments when people freeze or feel uneasy, with a sense that someone is watching them. One of the most famous stories is about Annie, the ghost of a young girl. In the 1990s, Japanese psychic Aiko Gibo visited the Close and claimed to have met Annie, who was upset after losing her favourite doll during the plague. Gibo left a doll for Annie, and now people leave toys and gifts for her in the same room. Some who visit Annie’s Room say it feels sad, while others sense a playful, childlike energy and sometimes hear giggling or feel a gentle touch.
Other ghost stories involve people feeling as though their clothes are tugged or brushed by unseen hands. Guides and staff sometimes experience sudden chills or icy drafts around their feet. There are regular claims of hearing crying, footsteps, and whispers from empty rooms, as well as the sounds of coughing, which remind people of the plague victims who once lived there.
Sightings of a plague doctor dressed in black with a bird-like mask are common in the Close. Some say he appears and disappears quickly, while others believe seeing him means the ghost is warning visitors or watching over them. These stories connect strongly with the panic and fear that surrounded the plague years.
Visitors and paranormal teams have also reported strange lights, floating mist, and odd shapes caught in photographs. Some show blurred figures, faces, or orbs in the pictures, which sceptics claim are caused by dust or camera faults, but many people believe they show ghosts. Electronic voice phenomena recordings of voices, sighs, or strange sounds are sometimes captured at night, especially in rooms linked to the plague or famous ghost stories.
Many people feel strong emotions in different parts of the Close, from anxiety or sadness to feelings that seem happy and playful. Sudden changes in temperature are common, with rooms turning cold in an instant, and some visitors feel pressure in their ears or struggle to breathe easily until they leave the area.
A respected lawyer, Thomas Coltheart, moved into the Close in the late 17th century and soon after, his maidservant fled claiming the house was haunted. Coltheart and his wife reportedly saw a man’s disembodied head floating through their home, and later, a child’s ghost and a severed arm appeared, beckoning them to follow. They also reported seeing a ghostly dog that sometimes curled up on a chair, a sighting echoed by other accounts over the years.
The ghost of Andrew Chesney, the last resident forcibly moved in 1902, is said to still wander the alleys, looking worried, especially around the site of his beloved “thunderbox” (toilet). There are also stories of a spectral woman in black, widely believed to be Mary King herself, whose presence is most often felt in the stillest parts of the Close. Scratching sounds inside the chimney are attributed to a child sweeper who allegedly died there, visitors who dare to put their hands inside sometimes claim to get scratched in return.
Paranormal investigators and psychics frequently report “presences” in the Close, particularly around Annie’s Room, where unexplained childlike voices and tapping sounds have been recorded during live investigations. Visitors sometimes describe being overwhelmed by waves of sadness, or the feeling of being watched. During one livestreamed investigation in 2020, researchers and staff experienced unexplained children’s voices, cold spots, and tapping noises in areas associated with the Chesney family.
Reports also describe strange smells, such as biogas leaking through old stone walls, causing hallucinations or eerie lights. Some believe odd glowing effects behind walls and the sensation of being followed through the dark passages are linked to these gases, which could induce vivid sensations but also evoke old superstitions about spirits.
Apparitions are not limited to stories from the past. Modern visitors continue to photograph anomalies, like blurs that resemble faces or disembodied limbs, and orbs that appear only in images taken at the site. Staff and guests sometimes hear the distinct sound of a door latching shut, stones being thrown, or even objects moving without clear cause. There are occasions when mobile devices malfunction or batteries drain rapidly, a phenomenon often attributed to “spirit energy” by paranormal enthusiasts.
The ghost stories and spooky experiences at Mary King’s Close have become a big part of Edinburgh’s reputation for the supernatural. These tales aren’t just scary stories, but reminders of the city’s real history, shaped by the fear, loss, and hardship that marked daily life in the past. Whether people believe in ghosts or not, the impact of these legends is clear, drawing visitors who want to see for themselves what makes Mary King’s Close such a mysterious and unforgettable place.
