You can’t fail to spot the huge neo-Gothic spire that towers over Princes Street. This is the Scott Monument, dedicated to the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. You’ll see it up close if you walk the New Town with us.
A monument to a great writer
Whether you arrive in central Edinburgh at Waverley Station or on the bus or tram from the airport, you will see it: at 61 metres (200 ft), it is the tallest monument in the world dedicated to a writer.
Sir Walter Scott is one of Scotland’s most important and best-loved writers, and a great champion of Scottish tradition and culture. It is especially fitting here, as Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature, home to writers such as Scott, Burns, Stevenson and Conan Doyle.
Waverley Station is also named in Scott’s honour, after one of his most popular novels.
Enjoy amazing views from the Scott Monument
You can climb to the top of the tower for unique views of the Old Town and much of Edinburgh. Get ready for the 287 steps up the narrow staircases to the top, but the climb is worth it if you can manage it!
Even if you don’t go in, take a moment to admire the architecture of the monument itself. The spire is Victorian Gothic, with 68 small statues of Scottish writers and characters from Scott’s novels.
At the base, you can see a large statue of Sir Walter Scott with his beloved dog, Maida, carved from a single block of Carrara marble.
Learn about Scott’s life and works
Inside the monument, the Museum Room has an exhibition on Scott’s life and legacy. He is credited with inventing the historical novel. His narration is written mostly in English, but his characters often speak in Scots, the Germanic language of Lowland Scotland: closely related to English, but with its own vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, so it isn’t simply English with a Scottish accent. His best-known works include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Heart of Midlothian and Waverley.
If Scott has captured your imagination, visit The Writers’ Museum, in Makars’ Court off the Royal Mile, or travel to the Scottish Borders, where he lived, to visit his home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose.
If you have the time and energy to climb the tower, the Scott Monument offers some of the best views of Edinburgh, with a different perspective over the Old Town, Princes Street and the city skyline.
Practical information
Opening hours
- Every day
- 10am–4pm
Tickets
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £9 |
| Child / concession | £7 |
| Family (2 adults and 2 children, or 1 adult and 3 children) | £26 |
Location
You can see the monument from almost anywhere in the New Town. It stands in Princes Street Gardens, next to Waverley Bridge and Waverley Station.
Get directions to the Scott Monument.