Edinburgh

Lady Stair's Close

A close off the Lawnmarket leading to Lady Stair's House, a merchant's townhouse of 1622 that is now the Writers' Museum.

Welcome

Off the Lawnmarket, a worn sign on a rubble wall marks the way in: a dark, narrow passage that opens without warning into a little paved courtyard.

At the far side stands a turreted stone townhouse with a round stair tower, and the crowds on the Royal Mile seem a long way off.

Look down as you cross. Stones set into the paving carry lines by Scottish writers, some in old Scots, some in modern verse, and one reads that freedom is a noble thing. On the wall of the house a weathered plaque shows three carved heads above the words ex libris. It is one of the most atmospheric corners of the Old Town at dusk, when the lamps come on, and the house itself holds the Writers' Museum, free to wander round on the way down the Mile.

Before you go

The close is open to walk through at any time.

The Writers' Museum in Lady Stair's House is free.

The museum: Open seven days a week, 10am to 5pm; last entry 4.30pm.
Where: Off the Lawnmarket, the top stretch of the Royal Mile.

Opening hours

Monday: 10am–5pm
Tuesday: 10am–5pm
Wednesday: 10am–5pm
Thursday: 10am–5pm
Friday: 10am–5pm
Saturday: 10am–5pm
Sunday: 10am–5pm

Did you know

A weathered stone wall carries a street sign reading 'LADY STAIR'S CLOSE'.

Did you know

A merchant's house of 1622.

The house at the foot of the close was built in 1622 by Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, a successful Edinburgh merchant.

A weathered plaque reading 'ex libris' with three carved portrait medallions is mounted on a stone wall.

Did you know

Lady Gray, then Lady Stair.

It was first known as Lady Gray's House, after his widow. Their granddaughter Elizabeth, first Countess of Stair, bought it in 1719, and it has carried her name ever since.

A carved stone slab quoting John Barbour, 'Fredome is a noble thing', lies in a paved courtyard beside a stone stairway.

Did you know

Rescued by Geddes and Rosebery.

By 1890 the house had fallen into ruin. Patrick Geddes talked Lord Rosebery into paying for it; he bought it in 1895, restored it, and gave it to the city in 1907 as a museum.

A paving stone at Makars' Court is inscribed with a verse by Robert Henryson.

Did you know

A wardrobe by Deacon Brodie.

Inside is Robert Louis Stevenson's wardrobe, made by Deacon Brodie, the cabinetmaker whose double life may have given Stevenson the idea for Jekyll and Hyde.

A paving stone at Makars' Court is inscribed with a Scots verse by Robert Garioch.

Did you know

One of three casts.

The museum also keeps a plaster cast of Robert Burns's skull, one of only three ever made.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Edinburgh

There are more than 80 closes off the Royal Mile, but few are as picturesque – or as well known – as this moody little courtyard, reached by a dark passageway and dominated by a 17th-century townhouse, once the home of the first Countess of Stair.

What is on