Edinburgh’s Underground Vaults
Edinburgh’s Old Town is famous for its narrow closes and tall tenements, but beneath the streets lies a hidden underground world—vaults, chambers, and streets that were covered over centuries as the city was built up and up. These underground spaces tell Edinburgh’s story in ways the surface streets cannot, revealing how the city grew and changed over centuries.
This guide reveals Edinburgh’s underground vaults, explaining what they are, how to visit them, and understanding Edinburgh’s extraordinary urban development story.
Understanding Edinburgh’s Underground World
Edinburgh’s underground world exists because the city was rebuilt upwards over centuries:
Medieval Edinburgh: The original city at street level (approximately 12th-15th centuries) was a warren of narrow streets and closes.
16th-17th centuries: As Edinburgh grew, ground level was raised by several feet for drainage and new buildings. Old streets became underground.
18th-19th centuries: The “Nor’ Loch” was drained and the New Town built, but Old Town streets were raised further, creating more underground spaces.
Victorian period: The Royal Mile and closes were rebuilt with modern street levels, creating extensive underground vaults beneath.
20th century: Many underground spaces were sealed, though some were rediscovered and opened to visitors.
The result is an underground world of streets, closes, and chambers that once were Edinburgh’s surface level, showing how dramatically the city has been rebuilt over centuries.
Essential Underground Vaults to Visit
1. The South Bridge Vaults
The South Bridge Vaults are Edinburgh’s most extensive and spectacular underground vaults. These vaults lie beneath South Bridge and were originally storage chambers for merchants in the 18th century, later becoming notorious for crime and vice.
What makes the South Bridge Vaults special is their scale and authenticity. The vaults are extensive—dozens of chambers connected by narrow passages—and preserved much as they would have been when operating. The vaults tell stories of legitimate commerce and criminal underworld alike.
Location: Beneath South Bridge, accessed via tours
Opening: Tours operate daily (book in advance, especially in summer)
Cost: Approximately £15-20 per person (tour prices vary by operator)
What to expect: Guided tour (approximately 1.5 hours), spectacular vaults, stories of legitimate and illegitimate use.
Atmosphere: The vaults are atmospheric and slightly spooky, particularly when guides tell crime stories.
2. Mary King’s Close
Mary King’s Close is Edinburgh’s most famous underground close—a narrow street that was covered over in the 18th century when street levels were raised. The close has been reopened as a tourist attraction showing how Old Town closes once functioned.
What makes Mary King’s Close special is its authenticity and storytelling. The close shows genuine Old Town life, from merchant’s houses to cramped living conditions. The stories of plague and ghosts may be embellished, but the close itself is genuine.
Location: Off the Royal Mile, EH1 1PG
Opening: Daily tours (book in advance)
Cost: Approximately £12-15 per person
What to expect: Guided tour (approximately 1 hour), preserved Old Town close, atmospheric underground.
Historical accuracy: While some ghost stories are embellished, the close itself is genuine Old Town heritage.
3. The Real Mary King’s Close (Historical)
For those seeking historical accuracy over ghost stories, the historical Mary King’s Close was a real 17th-century close that was covered over during street raising. The archaeological remains show genuine Old Town life without ghost embellishment.
What makes the historical Mary King’s Close special is its authenticity and archaeological evidence. The close shows how real Old Town closes functioned, without dramatic storytelling that sometimes dominates tourist versions.
Location: Similar area to tourist Mary King’s Close
Opening: Accessible via specific historical tours (check Edinburgh heritage organisations)
Cost: Varies by tour (often included in broader Edinburgh heritage tours)
What to expect: Archaeological remains, genuine Old Town close, historical accuracy.
Note: This is less touristy and more academically oriented than the ghost-story version.
Hidden Underground Gems
4. The Edinburgh Vaults
The Edinburgh Vaults (different from South Bridge Vaults) lie beneath various Old Town locations, particularly around the Cowgate. These vaults were originally storage and workshops, later used for various purposes including dwelling.
What makes the Edinburgh Vaults special is their variety and authenticity. The vaults show different uses—storage, workshops, dwelling—demonstrating Edinburgh’s underground diversity.
Location: Beneath Old Town streets around the Cowgate
Access: Tours operate occasionally (check heritage organisations)
Cost: Varies by tour (often £10-15)
What to expect: Various vaults with different historical uses, archaeological evidence.
Archaeology: The vaults contain archaeological evidence of different historical periods.
5. The Nor’ Loch Chambers
The Nor’ Loch was drained in the 18th century to create Edinburgh’s New Town, but chambers and structures remain beneath the surface in some areas. These chambers show the loch’s original configuration before drainage.
What makes the Nor’ Loch Chambers special is their connection to Edinburgh’s major engineering project. The loch drainage was a massive undertaking that enabled the New Town’s construction, and surviving chambers show the original loch landscape.
Location: Beneath Princes Street and surrounding New Town areas
Access: Occasionally accessible via heritage tours (check availability)
Cost: Varies by tour (often included in broader Edinburgh engineering heritage tours)
What to expect: Chambers showing original loch configuration before drainage, engineering heritage.
Engineering: The loch drainage was one of 18th-century Scotland’s most impressive engineering projects.
Understanding Old Town Development
Edinburgh’s Old Town developed in distinctive phases:
Early medieval period (12th-14th centuries): Castle and early settlement around Royal Mile. Narrow streets and closes at natural level.
Late medieval (15th-16th centuries): Expansion around Royal Mile with more closes and merchants’ houses. Still at natural level.
17th century: Growth continues, but still at natural level. Royal Mile becomes major street.
18th century: Major raising of street levels for drainage. Old streets become underground. South Bridge and major buildings constructed.
19th century: Further raising and rebuilding. Royal Mile reconstructed at modern level. Nor’ Loch drained for New Town.
20th century: Most underground spaces sealed. Some rediscovered in late 20th century.
The result is a palimpsest where street levels have risen by up to 10 feet, creating underground worlds of previous surface levels.
Exploring Edinburgh’s Underground: A Walking Route
Here’s a walking route covering key underground locations in Edinburgh’s Old Town in 3-4 hours:
Start: Edinburgh Castle (optional, sets context) - allow 1 hour if visiting
Walk to: Royal Mile and various closes (visible on surface) - 20 minutes, allow 30 minutes
Walk to: South Bridge Vaults (tour access point) - 10 minutes, allow 1.5 hours for tour
Walk to: Mary King’s Close - 15 minutes, allow 1 hour for tour
End: Cowgate area (underground vaults visible in places) - 15 minutes, allow 30 minutes
Total distance: Approximately 1-1.5 miles
Total time: 3.5-4.5 hours (including tours)
Total cost: Approximately £27-35 per person (depending on tour prices)
Underground Etiquette and Safety
Follow guides’ instructions: Underground spaces can be disorienting and have hazards. Stay with your tour group.
Watch your head: Underground spaces often have low ceilings. Be prepared to duck.
Temperature: Underground spaces are cool year-round (10-12°C). Bring a jacket even in summer.
Don’t explore alone: Never explore underground areas without proper guidance. The Edinburgh underground has hazards.
Photography: Ask before using flash. Some areas are sensitive to light.
Understanding Edinburgh’s Closes
Edinburgh’s closes are unique urban features—narrow streets or alleyways running off main streets, often with buildings on both sides. Many closes were covered over during street raising, creating underground equivalents.
Closes served various purposes:
- Merchants’ closes: Storage and workshops for businesses
- Dwelling closes: Cramped housing for poorer residents
- Access closes: Shortcuts between streets
- Trade closes: Specific trades (bakers, butchers, etc.) concentrated together
When street levels were raised, closes became underground but often remained accessible, creating the underground world that exists today.
Underground Photography Tips
South Bridge Vaults: Atmospheric photographs of vaulted ceilings and narrow passages. Overcast days give even lighting.
Mary King’s Close: Photograph preserved Old Town details and architectural features. Flash useful in dark corners.
Underground streets: Show scale with people in photographs. The narrowness is the point.
Archaeological remains: Close-up shots of archaeological features reveal details that overall views miss.
Seasonal Underground Experiences
All year: Underground spaces maintain consistent temperature year-round (10-12°C), making them comfortable in any season.
Winter: Underground tours are particularly good in winter when above-ground Edinburgh is cold and possibly wet.
Summer: Above-ground attractions and walking are better, but underground tours offer relief from summer heat.
Spring/Autumn: Good seasons for combining underground tours with surface Old Town exploration.
Combining Underground with Old Town Exploration
Edinburgh’s Old Town has more than underground vaults:
Royal Mile: The main historic street, with many historic buildings and attractions (entry fees vary).
Edinburgh Castle: Spectacular castle with exhibitions and city views (entry fee approximately £17).
Grassmarket: Historic market area with pubs, restaurants, and atmosphere.
St. Giles’ Cathedral: Beautiful cathedral (free entry to nave, charges for other areas).
Underground Myths vs. Reality
Myth: Edinburgh’s underground is a ghost-filled, haunted place.
Reality: The underground has legitimate historical uses, though some crime did occur.
Myth: People lived underground in vast numbers.
Reality: Some people did dwell in underground spaces (particularly poorer residents), but most underground spaces were for storage, workshops, and commerce.
Myth: The underground is endless maze of tunnels.
Reality: The underground is extensive but finite, with specific areas well-mapped and understood.
Myth: Ghost stories are historically accurate.
Reality: Ghost stories are largely embellishment, though some have basis in historical events.
A Final Thought
Edinburgh’s underground vaults tell the city’s extraordinary story in ways surface streets cannot. The raised street levels, covered-over closes, and underground chambers show how dramatically Edinburgh was rebuilt over centuries, layer upon layer, creating a palimpsest where previous surface levels survive beneath today’s streets.
The South Bridge Vaults, Mary King’s Close, and other underground spaces aren’t just tourist attractions but genuine heritage that reveals how the city grew and changed. The stories of legitimate commerce, criminal underworlds, and everyday life underground enrich our understanding of Edinburgh’s past.
The key to enjoying Edinburgh’s underground is to separate fact from fiction. Yes, the ghost stories are fun and atmospheric, but the real heritage—the vaults’ genuine uses, the archaeological evidence, the urban development story—is equally fascinating and historically significant.
So take an underground tour, understand Edinburgh’s development story, and discover the city beneath the streets. The underground world shows that Edinburgh isn’t just what we see above ground but a complex layering of centuries of urban development.
The surface streets are spectacular, but the underground vaults reveal the full story of how Edinburgh became one of Europe’s most remarkable cities.
This guide reveals Edinburgh’s underground vaults beneath the Old Town, from the spectacular South Bridge Vaults to Mary King’s Close, from Nor’ Loch chambers to hidden closes. Edinburgh was built upwards over centuries, creating an underground world of previous street levels. Explore this subterranean heritage and discover another dimension of Edinburgh’s extraordinary urban development.