the story of the lost close

finding the lost close

In 2019, during the renovation works of CoDE Hostels, a hidden basement was found under all the rubble from the fire nearly 200 years before.

In the old maps, we can see Closes, living quarters, taverns, and even the Royal Bank. Steil's Close regularly features in the maps pre-1824 and disappears thereafter. This is the same with Royal Bank Close and Hangman's Close. They all led into Old Fishmarket Close, which still stands today.

We can't say for certain which Close we have, but we can say it is a Close... Why? It has gradual steps down on foundation stone and leads to a clear arch for those to walk through towards Old Fishmarket Close.

The great fire of 1824

The Great Edinburgh Fire started on the 15th of November 1824. It took the newly instated fire brigade under the fire master, James Braidwood, five days to extinguish the fire. The fire destroyed everything to the east, between the square and the Tron Kirk, leaving a lot of rubble hidden underground.

The remains were quickly destroyed so as not to cause any more harm, and this allowed Parliament Square to expand after the space was cleared.

City of Edinburgh Council - Edinburgh Libraries

Edinburgh police chambers

In 1830, the designs for the new police chambers were completed, and in 1845, the building with its newly built courtroom and jail cells was taken into use.

The holding cells and courtroom were mostly used to deal with petty crimes as the more serious cases went to the High Court. But there was one famous case that took place in this building - the famous case of Greyfriars Bobby.

The police left the property in the 1980s, and the building was converted to offices until CoDE Pod Hostels acquired the property and renovated it into a luxury pod hostel, incorporating all the former history of this property.

If you are interested in sleeping in the old courtroom or one of the jail cells, then have a look at codehostels.com

meet our team

James

A gregarious oddball, James has been in tourism for over a decade. From hour-long ghost tours to week-long trips around the Highlands, he knows Scotland inside out. He is a whisky expert, history nerd, climber, skier, hiker, and professional photographer. If he's not underground, he's up a mountain somewhere, making the most of this beautiful country.

sara

Sara is in her final year at the Edinburgh College of Art, specializing in kinetic and interactive sculpture. She is passionate about history, particularly the amazing city of Edinburgh. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington—a city known for its craft beers, coffee, and serial killers—her interest in these three things makes working at The Lost Close a dream job. Fitting with the setting of The Lost Close, she loves to weave stories of true crime and Scottish history into her tours.

@armandaryphotography

Nicky

Nicky used to be an engineer and then a librarian. In recent years, she has worked as a costumed historical interpreter at Stirling Castle and Kentwell Hall, as well as leading historical walking tours in Edinburgh's Old Town. She's a member of CAMRA and the Scottish Malt Whisky Society and enjoys introducing visitors to The Lost Close to the variety of flavours and styles of beer and whisky that Scotland has to offer.

Mark

Mark has been a tour guide for longer than he can remember, and his CV reads like an Edinburgh tourism guidebook. As well as working at The Lost Close, he also does ghost tours—spending most of his life underground with spirits of one description or another. When he does emerge into the sunlight, it's only to scuttle into a darkened pub.

Bellfield beers are all certified by Coeliac UK and registered with the Vegan Society. Their small team in Edinburgh is dedicated to the craft of brewing great tasting beers that everyone can enjoy. They’re independent, passionate, committed, and proud of it. Exceptional beer, no exceptions.

Our partners

Our events are made possible due to our great partners.

We share the property with CoDE Pod Hostel, a luxury hostel brand right on the Royal Mile, providing a unique and comfortable stay.

A local Edinburgh brewery with a passion for quality beer and a thirst for travel. Their adventures take them on a quest for unusual places to brew, discovering flavoursome ingredients along the way, directly from their source.

The makers of our beautiful whisky glasses, which are for sale in our shop.

The makers of our Whisky & Water luxury hand soap, a modern, dramatic, and rather addictive fragrance. You can buy a bottle for home in our shop.

At Lindores Abbey Distillery, we are delighted to bring our Single Malt to whisky lovers the world over. As sought after and enjoyed today as it was in MCDXCIV (1494).

The Glenlivet Distillery sits in a wild and remote glen with its history laced with drama and intrigue. It's a tale of grit and graft—of seeing off smugglers, excisemen, and copycats—of knowing the importance of home and putting it on the map.

Fragrant Drops is a passionate independent bottler dedicated to sourcing exceptional Scotch whiskies. Known for their meticulous cask selection and expertise in whisky maturation, they bring unique and high-quality expressions to enthusiasts worldwide. At The Lost Close, we are proud to partner with Fragrant Drops to offer an exclusive, limited-edition 29-year-old Single Grain whisky from Strathclyde Distillery