Close
In Edinburgh, a close is a narrow alley or passage running off a main street, especially the Royal Mile, into the courtyards and buildings behind it. The word comes from the fact that many closes were originally private and could be shut off at night with a gate.
In practice
The Old Town grew along a ridge, and building plots ran back from the main street like the bones of a fish. Each plot had its own passage, so the Royal Mile is still lined with entrances that look like doorways until you step into them. Most closes are named after a resident, a trade or a building that once stood there: Advocate's Close, Fleshmarket Close, Mary King's Close. Many are now public routes with steep steps down towards Waverley or the Cowgate; a few are still gated.
Why it matters to newcomers
"Close" appears in addresses, directions and estate agents' listings, and locals use closes as shortcuts. If someone says to meet "at the top of the close", they mean the street end. In Glasgow the same word means the shared entrance to a tenement, so do not assume it travels.
Related
- Wynd - the public counterpart of a close
- Pend - the covered archway that often leads into one
- Royal Mile - the street most closes run off
- Tenement - the buildings that closes serve
Sources: The Real Mary King's Close: about the close; Edinburgh World Heritage.