A LOST Edinburgh street hidden behind the walls of the National Library of Scotland has been revealed to the BBC by staff in the building.
The narrow corridor was part of Libberton’s Wynd, a steep narrow street leading from Lawnmarket to Cowgate, before the road was demolished to make room for George IV Bridge.
Despite being located in the lower floors of the library and not open to the public, some locals seem to already be aware of this hidden relic, with many recalling experiences in similar forgotten pathways.
Streets such as St Mary’s Close reveal Edinburgh’s history of underground architecture, as generations have built on top of each other to combat overcrowding and maximise space.
After discovering the chamber under the National Library in the 1990s, officials have widened the door to make access easier, and some areas are used for the storage of water tanks.
The street’s history dates back to at least the 18th and 19th centuries, when it used to connect Cowgate to Lawnmarket, which then housed Edinburgh’s gallows for the witness of public executions.
Arches and rooms in the passage are thought to have offered storage in George IV Bridge, and much of the library has been built on the foundations of buildings that were demolished for the bridge to be built.
In response to a post on social media about the street, locals claimed to have stumbled upon Libberton Wynd and streets like it before, having come across Edinburgh’s extensive network of underground structures.
One user asked: “Not sure why this is being made a story now, but when I was told, my first thought was that this street was featured in one of the early Rebus novels.
“I’m trying to remember which one? Does anyone remember or am I mis-remembering things?”
Another user replied: “I think you might be right, Isn’t it the first one (Knots and Crosses?) that has that chase through the library?”
The “Rebus novels” refer to The Inspector Rebus series by highly acclaimed Scottish author Ian Rankin.
The fictional novels are set in and around Edinburgh, and begin with Knots and Crosses, published in 1987.
It is likely that Rankin had some knowledge of Edinburgh’s underground history, and saw its dark, forgotten chambers as the perfect setting for a grim piece of crime fiction.
Other users shared their own stories about Edinburgh’s secret passageways, with one commenting: “These secret streets or lost streets were only recently ‘lost’. My Uncle grew up in the 1930s around the Royal Mile and told us how local kids used to play in them.”
Another stated: “I remember running cables under the city chambers back in the early 80s and there was a street there.
“It wasn’t Mary Kings close as I’ve since been in that, but it was further uphill and took us almost under the pavement in the Royal Mile uphill of the entrance of the City Chambers.
“Most of it was just abandoned but some of the earlier rooms were used to store ballot boxes etc.
“Long after the fitted electric lights ran out and in an area we were working by torch there was a large unprotected drop to a lower level and you could see more of the same.”
One more recalled: “I visited that part in 1980 with a councillor and a small group of students.
“I was led to understand it was part of Mary Kings Close, though possibly not the part that is open now. It was certainly extensive.”
