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The Scott monument was erected on 21st September 1832 in tribute to Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe and The Lady Of The Lake.
Its design occurred in an original manner. Instead of just hiring an architect to create the design of the monument, a competition was declared. The most suitable design would be the choice of the winner. A entrant entered the competition under a pseudonym and won. His name was George Meikle Kemp.
Kemp was a working joiner and had attained recognition as an accomplished draughtsman - his drawings of Melrose Abbey and Glasgow Cathedral being the most notable. He was awarded the contract to build the monument in 1838.
The monument has sixty-four niches with a statue being present in each one. Statues contributed at the time of the inauguration, and a movement instigated by James Ballantyne in 1870, led to the presence of the first thirty-two statues. The remainder were provided through a motion placed before the town Council by Bailie Thomas Hall in 1881. The statuettes represent characters from the works of Sir Walter Scott.
George Meikle Kemp entered the competition as John Morvo. John Morvo was a master mason at Melrose Abbey. But Kemp would never see his ideas come to fruition, as he tripped into the Union Canal in 1844 during a fog and drowned.
Scott Monument
East Princes Street Gardens
Edinburgh EH2 2EJ
Telephone - 0131 529 4068
E mail -
The Scott Monument was officially inaugurated on 15th August 1846. It is just over two hundred feet high, and fifty-five feet square at the base. You have to climb two hundred and eighty-seven steps to reach the highest gallery.
It is constructed of Binnie stone. Binnie stone contains natural oils which are said to aid its preservation. Sir John Steel's statue of Sir Walter Scott is made of Carrara marble. It is more than double life-size.
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Opening Times
March to May daily 10am - 6pm June to September Monday to Saturday 9am - 8pm Sunday 10am - 6pm
October Monday to Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday 10am - 6pm November to February daily 10am - 4pm
Please contact below for further details or visit the web site link to your right.
