Interactive & Immersive Experience at The Real Mary King’s Close
Uncover the secrets of 17th-century medicine with a hands-on workshop led by an expert from his time: Dr Arnott. As the wealthiest resident of Mary King’s Close, Dr Arnott once owned not one but two properties on the street. His wealth outstripped even that of his popular and business-savvy neighbour, the local merchant and city burgess, Mary King…
The question is, how did he make his fortune?
Well, “urine” for a pee-culiar treat!
Dr Arnott trained at the Royal College for Physicians and Surgeons, specialising in internal medicine. An apothecary with a flair for the nitty gritty, his favourite method of examining his patients’ health was to analyse their urine for its colour, smell and… TASTE!
Yes, Dr Arnott really did drink pee for a living. And now, so can YOU. Join our Sampling Sensation experience and become one of Dr Arnott’s medical students. ALL your senses will be required as you examine patients’ samples (following Dr Arnott’s personal method) and create your own, herbal remedy.
It’s an ex-PEE-rience not to be missed!
What’s included:
1h guided tour
30min Sampling Sensation workshop
When:
Available on weekends.
Time: Tours run at 13.00, 14.00, 15.00 and 16.00
Price: From £29/adult and £22/child (5 to 15 years old)
No under 5s permitted.
Where?
The Real Mary King's Close, Royal Mile, Edinburgh
MIX UP REVIEWS:
Ailie (Age 14) - ★★★★
"I would rate the real Mary kings close experience 4 stars I really liked the fact that they were telling the history of this part of Edinburgh and how it was used. Another good thing was the props and mannequins as they were all very realistic and looked real. I never knew that Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned there! I learnt some stuff that I didn't know before. The bits I didn't like as much was at times it wasn't as interesting if you knew some of Scotland's history.
Overall it was a good experience and I enjoyed it. It was also suitably spooky."
Mylo (Age 15) - ★★★★★
"Mary King’s Close is a must see historical site with a huge importance in giving an insight into early Edinburgh life. You are taken on an immersive tour through the streets that once were full of people and through the houses of common people with families of 12 to one room in some cases. It also highlighted the interesting social and class divide present where there was a huge split of people on the same street with wealthy civilians living in the middle stories and the poor living either at the bottom or at the very top on the 14th floor! Just being there and feeling part of the history was enough but you are also given a tour guide who perfectly explains everything that you might wonder… With a little horror, a vast amount of history and a unique feeling of being part of that history it makes for a truly wonderful experience!"
Hollye (Age 13) - ★★★★
"I thought that it was really fun and interesting seeing how people lived all those years ago. The tour guide [Adam] was also lovely,"
Make sure you have booked in for the latest DRAMA CLASSES at Mix Up Theatre throughout Scotland :)
