Lady Stair's Close

Lady Stair's Close (477 Lawnmarket) is a close in Edinburgh, Scotland, just off the Royal Mile, close to the entrance to Gladstone's Land. Most notably it contains the Scottish Writers' Museum.

1. History

Located in Edinburgh's Lawnmarket, Lady Stair's Close is the location of a 17th-century townhouse called Lady Stair's House built in 1622 for Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, an Edinburgh Baronet. It was originally called Lady Gray's House after the widow of the first proprietor. She was the mother of the Scots Worthy Andrew Gray whose books became well-known despite dying at an early age. It was then bought in 1719 by Elizabeth Dundas, Lady Stair, the widow of John Dalrymple (1648 - 1707) the 1st Earl of Stair, hence its present name. The close contains the Makars' Court - inscribed stones to the great names of Scottish literature.

1. Writers' Museum

The Writers' Museum, belonging to the city of Edinburgh, contains memorabilia which celebrate the lives of three writers who all at one time lived in Edinburgh: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robert Burns. Burns stayed in a house in Baxter's Close (since demolished) to the east of Lady Stair's Close during his first trip to Edinburgh in 1786.

1. See also

List of closes on the Royal Mile

1. Gallery


1. References

Nearby Places View Menu

Writers' Museum

The Writers’ Museum, housed within Lady Stair's House in Edinburgh, presents the lives of three of the foremost Scottish writers: Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Run by the City of Edinburgh Council, the collection includes portraits, works and personal objects. The museum lies within Makars' Court, which has been described as an "evolving national literary monument".

Historic Site Landmark

Lady Stair's House

Lady Stair's House is a 17th-century townhouse in Lady Stair's Close, off the Lawnmarket, in Edinburgh's Old Town. It now houses the Writers' Museum, dedicated to the lives and works of various Scottish literary greats. The house was built in 1622 for Sir William Gray of Pittendrum and his wife Giles (née Smith). A lintel above the door bears the date of construction and the initials WG and GS, along with a coat of arms and the motto "feare the Lord and depart from evill". It was previously known as Lady Gray's House, Giles having resided there for several years after her husband's death. The present name derives from Elizabeth Dalrymple, Dowager Countess of Stair, who acquired the house in 1719. It remained in the possession of the Dalrymple family until 1765, after which it passed through the hands of a succession of owners. In 1895, at the suggestion of the town planner and preservationist Patrick Geddes, it was purchased by Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, a descendant of the original occupants. Rosebery commissioned the architect George Shaw Aitken to conduct a thorough restoration of the building, and presented it to the city of Edinburgh in 1907. Since then it has been used as a museum, first of civic history and then of literary history. It was designated a Category A listed building in 1970.

Historic Site Landmark

Gladstone's Land

Gladstone's Land is a surviving 17th-century tenement house situated in the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, and is operated as a popular tourist attraction.

Historic Site Landmark

General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland

The Assembly Hall is located between Castlehill and Mound Place in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Church Event