The ‘frozen in time’ attraction crowned the UK’s favourite tourist activity
A SPOOKY attraction has beaten the likes of Alton Towers, Stonehenge and the Tower of London to be named the best in the UK.
The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh invites guests to “imagine a warren of streets frozen in time,” through their immersive walking tour.
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Buried deep below the ground, the close is situated beneath the Edinburgh City Chambers building – just off the famous Royal Mile.
Its labyrinth of narrow alleyways and deserted houses used to be full of people in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Those who lived in the tallest buildings were the richest… and those in the squat properties along the road where the waste was chucked out… the poorest.
The tiny lanes were a hotbed of crime, with thieves and murderers operating in the shadows.
In the last 1700s, the streets were partially demolished and buried under the ground after building started on the Royal Exchange, was later closed to the public.
The street is the setting for several myths and urban legends, as well as stories of hauntings and murders.
The close was largely forgotten and only rediscovered in 2003 – and it has since been reopened as a tourist attraction, where dressed up guides show what what it was really like for the people who lived, worked, and died on the Close”.
In this year’s TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Best of the Best Awards, it took top spot for attractions in the UK, as well as being named the 11th best attraction in Europe.
It finished higher in the European rankings than Rome‘s Trevi Fountain and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
The awards are handed out to places that receive a high volume of “above-and-beyond reviews and opinions” from TripAdvisor.
The site claims that “Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1 per cent achieve this milestone”.
They describe The Real Mary King’s Close as “an interactive tour that takes you beneath the city’s 17th-century streets”.
“As you walk through the underground passageways, a character guide will entertain you with historic tales, myths, and legends – this hour-long activity is ideal for families with kids in tow.”
Visitors can opt for either a medical history tour a true crime tour while also meeting the residents of the street, brought to life by in-costume characters.
Each of them represents a person who actually lived in Old Town Edinburgh.
TripAdviso's Top 10 UK Attractions in 2024
Here is a list of the top 10 attractions in the UK, according to the TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Best of the Best Awards.
- The Real Mary King’s Close – Edinburgh
- Royal Yacht Britannia – Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh
- The British Museum – London
- The National Museum of Scotland – Edinburgh
- Roman Baths – Bath
- Tower Bridge – London
- Tower of London – London
- V&A Victoria & Albert Museum – London
- York Minster – York
The Real Mary King’s Close wasn’t the only Edinburgh-based attraction to be celebrated by the awards, with second and third places also found in the Scottish city.
The Royal Yacht Britannia was named the second best thing for tourists to visit in the country, while Edinburgh Castle took third spot.
The National Museum of Scotland took fifth place, with London’s British Museum in fourth the only attraction outside of Edinburgh in the top five.
Meanwhile, the UK’s best theme parks were also revealed earlier this year.
And this is the best hotel in the UK according to TripAdvisor.