Scott Monument
Edinburgh
The Scott Monument is the tower built for the writer Walter Scott in Princes Street Gardens. Completed in 1846, it is one of the largest monuments to a writer in the world.
A tower for a writer
Walter Scott died in 1832. He was famous all over Europe for his novels about knights, clans and adventures of long ago. The city decided to remember him with a great monument. The money came mainly from the donations of thousands of citizens.
The competition and the building site
A competition was held to choose the design. The winner was a drawing full of pointed arches, spikes and turrets. The first stone was laid on 15 August 1840. The monument was opened in August 1846.
What to look at
In the centre is the statue of Scott, seated, with Maida at his feet. John Steell carved it from a single huge block, over six years of work. All around, in the niches, are dozens of little statues of characters from the novels. Lower down, on the pillars, are the heads of Scottish poets.
The tower and the city
Inside, narrow stairs lead up to four viewing platforms. From up there you can see the Old Town and the New Town. In the evening, warm lights shine on the stone.
