Investigate real offences committed on Mary King’s Close…

Join our True Crime Tours to discover the darkest side of Edinburgh’s history.

The closes of the Old Town have been shrouded in shocking tales of crime and punishment for centuries… but our True Crime Tours reveal a more honest story, rooted in fact. As is often the case, the reality ultimately proves darker and more fascinating than any amount of fiction.

Prepare to gain an investigative insight into the nature of Edinburgh’s criminal activity on this 1-hour social history tour. With a special “True Crime” guide to lead you through Edinburgh’s forgotten streets, discover how the people of the closes were just as compelled by the dark details of criminal misdemeanours as we are today.

Confronting themes such as eviction, addiction, and the criminal lack of legislation in place to protect residents, the True Crime Tours examine how real offences affected life in the vicinity. Discover what the rise of the witch trials meant for ordinary people living on the closes. Also, learn of the intriguing link that Mary King’s Close has to the infamous character that likely inspired The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde…

This is a tour for only for the most undaunted visitors.

***** Google review | August 2024: “This experience was a combination of a ghost story and a true crimes podcast, our guide masterfully wove a web of history and horror for us as we navigated dark and convoluted tunnels. If we are ever in their neck of the woods again we will 100% go on another tour.”