Scott Monument

from Edinburgh, Scotland

ABOVE: The Scott Monument with Princes Street behind. INSET BELOW: A gargoyle on the neo-Gothic structure.

Few cities cherish their famous dead writers as much as Edinburgh does. The literary trinity of Robert Burns, Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson attract pilgrims from throughout the world, and one has his own cathedral: The Sir Walter Scott Monument, a Gothic spire that was funded by public donations after the writer's death in 1832. Construction began in 1840, and the building opened to the public in 1846.

The Scott Monument is 200 feet or 61 meters high, with 287 steps leading up to the topmost viewing platform. You can climb it year-round, and the ascent is well worth the modest admission fee if you aren't fazed by narrow fan-shaped steps with two-way traffic.

For more information on the Scott Monument, including pictures of the interior and views from the observation galleries, continue to Page 2.

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INSET PHOTO: Copyright © Anthony Dodd.

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