Surprisingly, although I tend to climb to the highest point of any city I visit – I’ve been up many towers and spires – I’ve lived in Edinburgh for about 30 years without ever climbing the Scott Monument. So since I’m on a monument kick at the moment it had to be time to do it.
The momument itself is Victorian, of course, but Scott himself was one of the most influential authors of late Georgian times. It’s definitely an impressive monument, although too elaboate Victorian for my tastes.
The monument is covered in little statues representing Scottish poets and characters from Scott’s novels.
In among the pillars at the bottom there is a statue of Scott and his dog Maida.
Climbing the monument was quite an adventure – there are several gallery levels where you come out, with a small museum on the first of them, and the stairs get narrower and narrower as you head to the top.
The views are worth it, though, in all directions – looking towards North Bridge and Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, and the monuments on Calton Hill, up towards the Old Town and the castle with the Pentlands showing beyond, or looking out over the New Town (and Lord Melville’s monument) towards the sea.
Adventures in the Age of Sail 