THE WALTER SCOTT MONUMENT

THE WALTER SCOTT MONUMENT

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This victorian gothic monument was built in 1841, to commemorate Sir Walter Scott.

Scott was the author of the best-selling Waverley novels, who died in 1832.

Designed by George Meikle Kemp, it was inspired by the Gothic architecture of the Borders Abbeys.

The monument inspired the name of the nearby bridge, and Edinburgh Waverley Railway station.

The tower is 200 feet 6 inches (61.11 m) high and has viewing platforms reached by a series of spiral staircases, giving panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings.

The highest platform is reached by a total of 287 steps.

The erection of the Scott monument came at a high cost to the stone masons involved.

It was especially costly to the 'hewing masons' who were responsible for preparing the blocks, with their carvings and statues.

This work was done in closed sheds, so that large quantities of fine dust were a continual part of their working environment.

One contemporary observer says that the monument "killed twenty three of the finest hewers in Edinburgh." through phthisis, the term used at the time for silico-tuberculosis.

There are 68 statues on the monument, not counting Scott and his dog, and 64 are visible from the ground.

Four figures are placed above the final viewing gallery, and are only visible by telephoto or from the viewing gallery (at a distorted angle).

In addition, eight kneeling Drud figures support the final viewing gallery.

There are also 32 unfilled niches at higher level.

Sixteen heads of Scottish poets and writers appear on the lower faces.

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Source~scotlandstartshere/Wikipedia.

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https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

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View of the Scott Monument from Waverley Bridge.