Paisley Close

Paisley Close discover

A narrow passageway featuring the famous boy's head and the “Heave awa’” inscription commemorating a rescue after a building collapse.

The entrance to Paisley Close features a figure of a rescued boy and an inscription. Historical visual and architectural documentation links them to the rescue of a trapped boy after the previous tenement collapsed. The famous cry “Heave awa’ chaps, I’m no dead yet” is documented as the monument’s wording; a verbatim contemporary transcript of spoken words, however, is not proven.

The visible facade is not a medieval original: Robert Paterson erected it in Scottish Baronial style in 1862. Behind it, part of the older building from around 1700, attributed to James Smith, was preserved. The combination of new build, surviving rear section, and commemorative relief makes this short passageway a vivid record of urban disaster and renewal.

What to Expect

• Heave-awa inscription
• Portrait head
• Baronial front
• Preserved older rear building

Plan Your Visit

Heritage protection

Category B.

Front building

Robert Paterson, 1862.

Older section

Attributed to James Smith, c. 1700.

Sculpture

Boy’s head at the entrance by John Rhind.

Access

Check current access notices on site

Tips for Your Visit

• View the entrance relief from High Street.
• Do not block the narrow passage when taking photos.
• Only enter rear residential areas if they are expressly open to the public.

Here You’ll Find Paisley Close

97–105 High Street and 4 Paisley Close, Edinburgh