The Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, consisted originally of the Royal Mile

Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...

, and the small streets and courtyards that led off it to the north and south. These are usually named after a memorable occupant of one of the nearby apartments, or by the occupations of those that traded therein. Generically they are termed closes (ˈkloʊs), although individually they may be named entries, courts and wynd

Wynd

Wynd is a Scots word for what is typically a narrow path snaking through houses to join two major roads. In many places wynds link streets at different heights and thus are mostly thought of as being ways up or down hills...

s, all of which are Scots

Scots language

Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...

 terms for an alley. A "wynd" was one wide enough to take a cart, a "close" was too narrow for a cart. Most slope steeply down from the Royal Mile. Many have steps and form huge flights of stairs.

To be a true "close" it requires to be built on both sides, giving a canyon-like atmosphere.

The Royal Mile comprises four, linear, conjoined streets: Castle Hill; Lawnmarket; High Street; and Canongate. Closes are listed below from west to east, divided between the south and north sides of the streets.

The list below is a list as currently exist. Since the Council encourages recreation of closes in new developments the list is not static. New closes are encouraged to adopt the name of that close historically on that line.

Castlehill

Castlehill forms the western end of the Royal Mile, running from the Castle Esplanade to the junction of Johnstone Terrace.
South

• Castle Wynd (in two sections, North and South). This connects to the Grassmarket via Johnstone Terrace. Technically, with buildings only on one side, this is not a "close" at all.
• Old Distillery Close
• Boswell's Court

North

• Skinner's Close (sign only/ no route remains)
• Semple's Close (sealed/ private dead end)
• Jollie's Close (sealed/ private dead end)

Lawnmarket

Lawnmarket is the section between Johnstone Terrace and George IV Bridge

George IV Bridge

George IV Bridge is an elevated street in Edinburgh, Scotland. Measuring 300-metres in length, the bridge was constructed between 1829 and 1832 as part of the Improvement Act of 1827. Named for King George IV, it was designed by architect Thomas Hamilton , to connect the South Side district of...

/Bank Street.
South

• Riddle's Court
• Fisher's Close
• Brodie's Close
• Buchanan's Close

North

• Mylne's Court, built by Robert Mylne
  Robert Mylne (1633-1710)
  Robert Mylne was a Scottish stonemason and architect. A descendant of the Mylne family of masons and builders, Robert was the last Master Mason to the Crown of Scotland, a post he held from 1668 until his death.-Biography:...
  
  
• James Court(signed as West Entry, Mid Entry, East Entry)
• Lady Stair's Close
  Lady Stair's Close
  Lady Stair's Close is a close in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, just off the Royal Mile, close to the entrance to Gladstone's Land. Most notably it contains the Scottish Writers' Museum. The close contains the Makars' Court - inscribed stones to the great names of Scottish literature.-See...
  
  
• Wardrop's Close

High Street

High Street runs from George IV Bridge to St Mary's Street, the location of the Netherbow, and the limit of the pre-19th century burgh of Edinburgh.
South

• Barrie's Close (dog-leg connecting Parliament Sq. to Old Fishmarket Close)
• Old Fishmarket Close (public connection to Cowgate/open to vehicles)
• Borthwick's Close (leading to Tron Square)
• Old Assembly Close, location of the original assembly rooms
  Assembly rooms
  In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
  
  
• Covenant Close (dead end)
• Burnet's Close (dead end)
• Bell's Wynd (leading to Tron Square)
• New Assembly Close, location of the later assembly rooms
• Stevenlaw's Close (connecting to Cowgate)
• Marlin's Wynd (preserved on view under the Tron Kirk)
• Dickson's Close (sign only, erected 1990)
• Cant's Close (sign only, erected 1990)
• Melrose Close (sign only, erected 1990)
• Toddrick's Wynd (sealed/private)
• South Gray's Close (connecting to Cowgate/ vehicle access from Cowgate)
• Hyndford's Close (links to South Gray's Close)
• Fountain Close (links to South Gray's Close)
• Tweeddale Court, named for the Marquess of Tweeddale
  Marquess of Tweeddale
  Marquess of Tweeddale is a title of the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1694 for the 2nd Earl of Tweeddale. Lord Tweeddale holds the subsidiary titles of Earl of Tweeddale , Earl of Gifford , Viscount of Walden , Lord Hay of Yester , and Baron Tweeddale, of Yester in the County of Haddington...
  
  
• World's End Close

North

• Byer's Close (private/ dead end)
• Advocate's Close (connecting to Cockburn Street)
• Roxburgh Close (upper section accessible/ lower section private and blocked)
• Writer's Close leading to Warriston Close (connecting to Cockburn Street)
• Mary King's Close
  Mary King's Close
  Mary King's Close is an old Edinburgh Close under buildings in the Old Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland. After being used as a close, partially demolished and buried under the Royal Exchange, and later being closed to the public for many years, the complex became shrouded in myths and urban...
  
  
• Craig's Close (accessed only from Cockburn Street).
• Anchor Close (connecting to Cockburn street)
• Geddes Entry (private/ dead end)
• North Foulis Close (private/ dead end)
• Old Stamp Office Close (private/ dead end)
• Lyon's Close (private/ dead end)
• Jackson's Close (connecting to Cockburn Street)
• Fleshmarket Close (connecting to Market Street via Cockburn Street)
• Carrubber's Close (connecting to Jeffrey Street)
• Bishop's Close (sealed/private dead-end)
• North Gray's Close (connecting to Jeffrey Street)
• Morrison's Close (sealed/ private dead end)
• Bailie Fyfe's Close (dead end)
• Paisley Close (dead end)
• Chalmers' Close (connecting to Jeffrey Street)
• Monteith's Close (private/ dead end)(sign on ground only)
• Trunk's Close (accessible but private/ dead end)
• Baron Maule's Close (private, leads to private garden)

Canongate

Canongate is the section from St Mary's Street to the foot of the Royal Mile at Holyrood, which ran through the former burgh of The Canongate.
South

• Gullan's Close (connecting to Holyrood Road)
• Gibb's Close (sign only/ serves solely as access to a shop)
• Pirrie's Close (connecting to Chessel's Court)
• Old Playhouse Close (sealed/ private dead end)
• Sugarhouse Close
• Bakehouse Close
• Wilson's Court
• Cooper's Close
• Crichton's Close
• Bull's Close (connecting to Holyrood Road)
• Reid's Close (currently no sign/ connects to holyrood Road))
• Vallence's Entry (no sign/ private dead end)

North

• Midcommon Close (sealed/ private dead end)
• Bowling Green Close (leading to Gladstone's Court)
• Old Tolbooth Wynd (vehicle access from Calton Road)
• Dunbar's Close (leading to a knot garden
  Knot garden
  A knot garden is a garden of very formal design in a square frame, consisting of a variety of aromatic plants and culinary herbs including germander, marjoram, thyme, southernwood, lemon balm, hyssop, costmary, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, Calendulas, Violas and Santolina...
  
  )
• Panmure Close (partly sealed over newly built extension)
• Brown's Court (dead end)
• Lochend Close (vehicular access from Calton Road)
• Gladstone's Court (private/ dead end)
• Reid's Court (the old Canongate manse)
• Campbell's Close (cranked connection to Calton Road)
• Brown's Close (dead end)
• Forsyth's Close (sealed/ private dead end)
• Galloway's Entry (dead end)
• White Horse Close a very atmospheric courtyard