Planning application reveals next spot for Edinburgh World Heritage’s 12 Closes project

The Twelve Closes project, launched in 2015 to highlight the history buried in the nooks and crannies of Edinburgh’s closes, will next be bringing the history of Carrubber's Close into focus.

Carrubber's Close is the next close to feature as part of Edinburgh World Heritage's 12 Closes project highlighting the history of the Old Town's closes

A planning application lodged with the Edinburgh City Council shows plans to display a series of informative panels along the length of Carrubber’s Close, nestled right in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town.

The EWH project plans to display five panels along the street in total, making use of the many fire doors and walls of businesses on High Street and North Bridge which back onto the close.

On its website, Edinburgh World Heritage describes the project as an ‘exciting and challenging urban renewal project’ which aims to ‘make the closes more interesting, attractive and visible’.

As a street which links Jeffrey Street with High Street, it is a popular shortcut between Waverley Station and the Royal Mile, so the series of informative panels will provide some of Carrubber’s Close’s rich cultural history to tourists and workers passing through.

The same application also reveals plans to refresh the decorative metal grills attached to the home of historic Presbyterian archbishop, John Spottiswoode, also located on Carrubber’s Close, with new replica versions to permanently replace the existing grills. These, along with the information panels to feature prominently toward the High Street entrance to the close, are hoped to bring greater footfall to the close along with a sense of safety and cultural engagement.

Among the other closes featured in the 12 Closes project are Fleshmarket Close, Stevenslaw Close, Lady Stair’s Close and Crichton Close.

Visit the Edinburgh World Heritage website here to find out more.

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