• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Truly Edinburgh

Visitor guide to Edinburgh

  • Home
  • Site Index
  • Blog
  • Edinburgh
  • Whisky
  • History of Scotland
    • Castles of Scotland
    • Early monarchs
    • Famous Scots
  • About
Home » Things to do in Edinburgh » Dunbar's Close Garden

Dunbar’s Close Garden: an Edinburgh Royal Mile garden


Dunbar’s Close Garden

Image © Wikimedia Commons

Dunbar’s Close Garden, a wonderful oasis of peace, lies just a few steps from the busy Canongate on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Although not laid out until the 1970s, it has the design and character of a 17th century garden. A number of benches provide the perfect place to sit, relax and draw breath.

Entrance to Dunbar’s Close Garden is Free

Just a few steps through Dunbar Close (entrance to the garden) will take you to this delightful walled garden, which many visitors to Edinburgh, not knowing of its existence, will simply walk past.

Designed by landscape architect Seamus Filor, the garden was gifted to the City of Edinburgh in 1978 and is now maintained by the Parks Department.

Dunbar's Close Garden
Dunbar’s Close Garden

Dunbar Close Garden is divided, by neat gravel paths, into eight separate areas, or garden rooms separated by hedges and trellises, and filled with plants.

To ensure 17th century authenticity, as much as possible, the vast majority of the plants and shrubbery would have been available in the 17th century. Among them: are lavender, fig, rosemary, tulip trees and other herbs and fruit trees.

Named after Edinburgh writer David Dunbar

Probably named after Edinburgh writer David Dunbar who, in 1773, owned nearby properties, the designer Seamus Filor was influenced by a number of factors including:

  • The formal gardens shown on the mid- 17th century map of the Canongate and High Street drawn by Gordon of Rothiemay.
  • The work of the remarkable and internationally influential Patrick Geddes (1854-1932). Geddes was lecturer at the University of Edinburgh but much better known as a town planner, a man who did much to improve the slums of Edinburgh.

The Mushroom Trust

Dunbar Close Garden is managed by the Mushroom Trust, a Scottish charity that supports the creation and development of green spaces and city environments. The trust said, “it wished to create a ‘pocket garden’ where passers-by could escape for a time the strains and pressures of their busy urban lives…

Digressing just a little, a number of writers note that Dunbar’s Close stood near Mrs Love’s Oyster Cellar an establishment that Robert Burns was known to visit.

Oysters were apparently very popular in 17th century Edinburgh. Testament to that was the discovery, by workmen, of an entire wall of oyster shells in what is now Gladstone’s land, a visitor attraction also on the Royal Mile.

What are closes in Edinburgh?

Edinburgh’s Old Town closes are described by Edinburgh World Heritage as, “steep, narrow alleyways.” Today there are dozens of them scattered around the Royal Mile and nearby streets.

However, turn the clock back and you’ll discover that some had an unsavoury history, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries when decay and overcrowding were the norm.

Bakehouse Close Outlander film location in Edinburgh
Bakehouse Close

For history enthusiasts the story of Edinburgh’s closes is fascinating. A few examples are:

  • Bakehouse Close was used as one of the filming locations for the Outlander series
  • Riddell’s Close and Court where James VI held a banquet for visiting dignitaries
  • Mary King’s Close is today one of Edinburgh’s most popular visitor attractions
  • Anchor Close which has associations with Robert Burns and the Crochallan Fencibles
How to find Dunbar Close Garden

The entrance to the close is just a few yards past Canongate Kirk on the left-hand side of the Royal Mile heading for the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Address:
137 Canongate
Edinburgh
EH8 8BW

Other things to do on the Royal Mile
  • Visitor Guide to Royal Mile
  • The Real Mary King’s Close
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Canongate Kirk

Sidebar

Things to do in Edinburgh

Things to do in Edinburgh

Truly Edinburgh Whisky Page

whisky in Edinburgh

Best Whisky Shops in Edinburgh

whisky in Edinburgh

Famous Scots

Famous Scots
visitor guide to Edinburgh Royal Mile attractions

Kings and Queens of Scotland

Kings and Queens of Scotland
  • Home
  • Edinburgh
  • Whisky
  • Blog
  • History
  • Site Index
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2022 · Truly Edinburgh · All Rights Reserved

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All


Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT