Mary King's Close
Beneath Edinburgh's Royal Mile lie old streets that were built over in the 1700s, where a little girl's ghost is said to wait for toys.
What was reported
Mary King's Close was a narrow, busy street running down from Edinburgh's Royal Mile. In 1753 the city began building the Royal Exchange, now the City Chambers, on top of it; the upper floors of the old houses were taken down and the lower parts became foundations, leaving a warren of underground streets and rooms.
Legend says the close was sealed during a plague with sick people inside. In 1992 a visiting psychic said she sensed a young girl, 'Annie', who had lost her doll, and since then visitors have left thousands of toys in her room.
Explanations offered
Historians say the close wasn't walled up with people inside, though plague did strike Edinburgh in 1645. The underground streets are real and well preserved, and since 2003 they've been open for guided tours. Annie's room, piled with gifts, is one of the most visited spots.
- When
- Built over from 1753
- Where
- Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Witnesses
- Visitors and guides
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.