Down the Closes

A random activity anyone can do in Edinburgh.


Place yourself anywhere along the Royal Mile.

Look around you.





Now look closer.







For some strange reason, I'm reminded of how J.K. Rowling described Harry Potter's first encounter of the Leaky Cauldron. 'Slide' is the word she used, and how appropriate it is. Your eyes are indeed tempted to slide between the loud and fancy storefronts, ignoring the non-descript pub in between. But it's there nevertheless - a quiet, unassuming portal to another world.

These narrow, little alleyways are leftovers of the Royal Mile's medieval past. They are literally everywhere on the Royal Mile, sandwiched in between various tartan and souvenier shops. They are generally overlooked by busy pedestrians and tourists headed for more photogenic sights at Edinburgh Castle or the Holyroodplace Palace. But they are there nevertheless, silent archways suspended in time. And every now and then, someone abruptly turns and vanishes into them.

In a bid to satisfy my curiousity, I decided to take a few turns myself down the closes on Monday afternoon. No close leads to the same place, but most of the ones I took transported me into tranquil courtyards and peaceful residential areas - all rather different worlds from the busy trunk street I had just exited.






I won't lie and promise that you'll find anything special or particularly exciting. But the point is not to go with expectations. Rather, relish the sense of the unknown as you roam down the winding and claustrophobic lanes. Realize with a start, that you're walking down roads taken by people 500 years ago and which are literally soaked in history. Ponder on some of the more enigmatic names you'll see - what exactly went on at Fleshmarket's Close? Did the world really seem to end at the World's End Close? Who was 'Dunbar' and why did he have a Close named after him?

Above all, just embrace the feeling of being happily lost. Suspend the need to follow any clear route, and abandon attempts to find yourself on a map - you'll probably search in vain anyway.

And if you're lucky, you just might find yourself somewhere special when you emerge into the light. If you're not, that's fine. You can still take a chance on the next lane which presents itself to you :)