Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

National Monument of Scotland, Calton Hill

National Monument of Scotland, Calton Hill

Highlight • Historical Site

National Monument of Scotland, Calton Hill

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

Recommended by 127 hikers

Save

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

Save

See hikes here

Take Me There

Routes here

Best Hikes to National Monument of Scotland, Calton Hill

5.0

(1)

hikers

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.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Easy

4.7

(93)

839

hikers

2. Victoria Street, Edinburgh – Royal Mile loop from Haymarket

15.4km

04:07

180m

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

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Moderate

4.6

(19)

283

hikers

3. Scott Monument – Arthur's Seat loop from New Town

10.0km

03:02

270m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Moderate

Tips

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 •

Details

Informations

Elevation 90 m

Weather

Today

Wednesday 17 December

11°C

4°C

90 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 35.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See hikes here

Take Me There

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

Other Popular Places to Check Out

View of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

View of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth

Palace of Holyroodhouse

St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins

Royal Scottish Academy

Old Calton Burial Ground

Scottish Parliament Building

Tron Kirk and Royal Mile Market

View of Edinburgh Old Town and Scott Monument

View of Edinburgh

View of Edinburgh from Crow Hill

Circus Lane

National Monument of Scotland, Calton Hill

1. Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

2. Victoria Street, Edinburgh – Royal Mile loop from Haymarket

3. Scott Monument – Arthur's Seat loop from New Town

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️