Edinburgh, 101 Cowgate, Dyer's Close

Dyer's Close is listed as Hume's Close on Ainslie 1780 and was named either for David Home, litster, who acquired a tenement and dyer's yard here at some date prior to 1736, or else it was for Peter Home, who with his wife Agnes Rae built a land called "Cairthall" in the close some time before 1709. The close was also known as Dyer's Close, from David Home or his successors in the trade; and its other name Crombie's Close was from an Andrew Crombie, silk dyer. It is listed on Edgar 1742 as Craig's Close, but nothing is known about its derivation. Finally, the close is referred to in 1761 as Cart's Close, which seems to refer to the Cairthall mentioned above. Since Peter Home and his wife built another Cairthall on the south side of the Grassmarket, it is possible that they were in trade as carriers snd that the close name was a plural Cairts Close. (from Stuart Harris, "Place Names of Edinburgh", 1996, pages 346-7)