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National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill

National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill

Highlight • Historical Site

National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill

Name: National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill
Rating: 2

Recommended by 127 hikers

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Location: New Town/Broughton, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill

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1. Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

2.79km

00:46

50m

40m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.8

(45)

339

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2. Edinburgh Castle – Royal Mile loop from Haymarket

13.7km

03:41

170m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.8

(13)

173

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3. Scott Monument – Nelson Monument on Calton Hill loop from Dean Village

29.7km

08:24

600m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Adie

December 11, 2023

The National Monument of Scotland occupies a commanding position, overlooking the city on Calton Hill.

Conceived as a memorial to the Scottish lives lost fighting the Napoleonic Wars, construction started in 1826, but money ran out and it was left unfinished in 1829, earning a few alternative nicknames along the way.

Bumble-Bee

May 1, 2023

Most famously called by its resident architect the ‘pride and poverty of us Scots’, the National Monument of Scotland is one of the iconic landmarks of Edinburgh. History has attached many other labels to the ruinesque Parthenon of Calton Hill such as “folly” or “disgrace”, proclaiming it a Scottish failure at besting classical Athens. The monument’s history from its conception to its abandonment in 1829 is a fascinating tale of political, social and of course aesthetic struggles.

In 1815 a monument to commemorate the dead of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) was proposed to be erected in London. Soon followed proposals for similar monuments in Dublin and Edinburgh to help those unable to reach the capital, to have access to at least one of the other two memorials. The idea of a National Monument in Edinburgh was suggested by the Highland Society of Scotland in 1816, who also considered it as a way to promote Scottish interests within the British scene. The government made clear from the beginning that there would be no allocation of public funding, which led the National Monument Committee in Edinburgh to propose a national church as the Scottish monument, in order to attract a grant of £10.000 through the 1818 Church Act. The expectations for this grant were never realized.

(historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/National-Monument-of-Scotland/)

Franzl wandert 🥾

June 27, 2023

There are great distant views from the national monument.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 90 m

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Saturday 25 October

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Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

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See hikes here

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Location: New Town/Broughton, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

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National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill

1. Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

2. Edinburgh Castle – Royal Mile loop from Haymarket

3. Scott Monument – Nelson Monument on Calton Hill loop from Dean Village

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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