The Real Mary King's Close has announced they will be running some slightly different tours from their usual spooky stories this month.
The Edinburgh attraction has confirmed they will be celebrating Women's History Month by taking groups on an underground trail of some of the city's most influential women.
At a time where they were not seen as equals, the tour will shine a light on women throughout the 17th-19th centuries who helped "shape the city."
According to Mary King's Close, the site itself was once a “a haven for independent women”, with 45 per cent of the properties having a female head of the household, which was very unusual for this time.
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Visitors will have the rare opportunity to meet Mary King herself during their tour, as she tells them how she obtained voting rights in the city almost 300 years ahead of her time.
The tours will be running on Tuesday 8th, Friday 11th and Saturday 12th March starting at 5.30 pm and 6pm, with proceeds being donated to Edinburgh organisation Strut Safe, which launched in 2021.
Katie Scott, Guest Experience Manager of The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “We are really looking forward to this event. In our regular tours, we talk about some of the women who lived on the closes, but it is difficult to get into more details during a 1-hour tour. Our new (Her)story Tours allow us to properly tell the stories of women who lived in Edinburgh and understand what their life would have been like.
I have learnt so much about women’s history while researching for the scripts, and our guides are really excited to share their characters’ stories with our guests.”
Now with over fifty volunteers across the UK, Strut Safe operates a UK-Wide free and non-judgemental phone line for people to call while they journey home to offer support and reassurance.
They also operate a walking service here in Edinburgh and plan to expand this to the rest of the UK. A £1 donation will be given to Strut Safe with each (Her)story Tour ticket purchased.
Alice Jackson and Rachel Chung, co-founders of Strut Safe, said “Strut Safe is thrilled and incredibly grateful to have the support of the wonderful team at The Real Mary King's Close this International Women's Day.
"As an organisation that was founded and operates from Edinburgh, to have the support and backing of those who educate on and preserve such a key part of Edinburgh's history is a true privilege. Support such as this makes a real difference and directly supports the work that Strut Safe is doing to get people home safely across Edinburgh, Scotland and throughout the rest of the UK."
The (Her)story Tours will last 1 hour and are priced at £24.95 per person on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th March, and £31 per person on Tuesday 8th March. Tickets can be purchased on the website: https://bit.ly/HerStory_Tour_Book_
