Close
- this word means different things to different people. In some parts of the country, mainly in Glasgow and the south-west, a close is the entry to a tenement house, the open passage-way giving access to the common stairs and the floors above. In other places, however, the word is more frequently understood to indicate either a narrow lane with houses on each side, or a passageway leading into a courtyard. This meaning is particularly evident in Edinburgh, especially in the names of the narrow streets and passages leading off the Royal Mile. These are often named after specific professions, individuals or local activities, and include Advocates' Close, Mary King's Close, Lady Stair's Close and Fleshmarket Close.