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National Monument of Scotland

The National Monument of Scotland, on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, is Scotland's national memorial to the Scottish soldiers and sailors who died fighting in the Napoleonic Wars.[1][2] It was intended, according to the inscription, to be "A Memorial of the Past and Incentive to the Future Heroism of the Men of Scotland".[3]

The National Monument of Scotland
The National Monument (right), viewed from the Salisbury Crags with Nelson's Monument on the left.

The monument dominates the top of Calton Hill, just to the east of Princes Street. It was designed during 1823–6 by Charles Robert Cockerell and William Henry Playfair and is modeled upon the Parthenon in Athens. Construction started in 1826 and, due to the lack of funds, was left unfinished in 1829. This circumstance gave rise to various nicknames such as "Scotland's Folly", "Edinburgh's Disgrace",[4] "the Pride and Poverty of Scotland" and "Edinburgh's Folly".[5]

Proposals edit

As early as 1816, the Highland Society of Scotland called for the construction of a national monument to commemorate the fallen in the Napoleonic Wars.[1] Initially The Mound was considered as a site, but was rejected in favour of Calton Hill.[6]

National Monument in Scotland Act 1822
Act of Parliament
 
Long titleAn Act to incorporate the Contributors for the Erection of a National Monument in Scotland to commemorate the Naval and Military Victory obtained during the late War.
Citation3 Geo. 4. c. 100
Dates
Royal assent30 July 1822

In January 1822, a proposal was put forward to 'erect a facsimile of the Parthenon' at a cost of some £42,000. The appeal found support amongst many prominent Edinburgh residents such as Sir Walter Scott, Henry, Lord Cockburn and Francis, Lord Jeffrey.[7] The leading man behind the campaign to model the new monument specifically on the Athenian Parthenon was Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, who had controversially removed many of the temple's sculptures (now known as the Elgin Marbles) a decade earlier and brought them to Britain.[8] In July 1822 the Royal Association of Contributors to the National Monument of Scotland was incorporated by an Act of Parliament. The foundation stone was laid, amid great pomp and ceremony, the following month.[9]

 
Drawing of the front elevation of the Western Portico of the National Monument of Scotland, by William Henry Playfair, dated 1826

Sixteen months after the initial appeal, only £16,000 had been found with the possibility of a £10,000 grant from Parliament. In 1826, the building was finally commissioned and work began.[7] The builder contracted to execute the work was Messrs William Wallace & Son.[3]

Originally, the building was planned to have extensive catacombs in the area supporting the main structure, to provide a burial place for significant figures,[7][10] intended as a "Scottish Valhalla".[2] A minute of the Royal Association in 1826 stated that the building was:

to adopt the Temple of Minerva or Parthenon of Athens, as the model of the Monument, and to restore to the civilised world that celebrated and justly admired edifice, without any deviation whatever, excepting the adaptation of the sculpture to the events and achievements of the Scottish Heroes, whose prowess and glory it is destined to commemorate and perpetuate, and part of which monument or building must, in terms of the said Act, be appropriated as a church or place of Divine worship, to be maintained in all time coming by the said Association[3]

Laying of the foundation stone edit

The foundation stone, which weighs 6 tons, was laid on 27 August 1822, during the visit of George IV to Scotland.

The Duke of Hamilton (the most senior non-royal Scottish noble and the Grand Master of Scotland) led a procession of masonic lodges, royal commissioners and other dignitaries from Parliament Square to the top of Calton Hill. The procession was escorted by the Scots Greys and the 3rd Dragoons.

The deposition of the inscription plates in the stone was accompanied by cannon salutes from Edinburgh Castle, Salisbury Crags, Leith Fort and the royal squadron on Leith Roads.[2]

 
360° view of Calton Hill from the National Monument, Edinburgh. Nelson's Monument is visible between columns in the centre. To the right are views of Firth of Forth. To the left are Arthur's Seat, Salisbury Crags and Holyrood Park.

Ideas for completion edit

Early proposals for completion work tended to focus on following the original plans; however, during the early 20th century several alternative plans were proposed:[1]

Subsequent attempts to 'complete' the National Monument have never borne fruit for reasons of either cost or lack of local enthusiasm. A proposal in 2004 met with a mixed reception.[11]

The monument was repaired in December 2008, repositioning one of the stone lintels that had moved out of alignment. The cost was £100,262.[12][13]

Protection edit

The National Monument was classified as a Category A Listed building in 1966. It is not a scheduled monument.[1]

References edit

The National Monument on Calton Hill
  1. ^ a b c d Historic Environment Scotland. "Calton Hill, off Regent Road, National Monument (Category A Listed Building) (LB27820)". Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Grant, James (1887). "15". Old and new Edinburgh: its history, its people, and its places. Vol. 3. Cassell. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (23 January 1888). "Donations to the Museum and Library". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Vol. XXII. Edinburgh: Neill and Company. p. 64. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  4. ^ Thomas Guthrie; William Garden Blaikie; Benjamin Waugh (1901). The Sunday Magazine. Strahan & Company. The National Monument on Calton Hill, Edinburgh, which looks like the fragment of a stupendous ruin, and which is an outstanding feature in the views of Auld Reekie, is popularly known as Scotland's folly or Edinburgh's disgrace.
  5. ^ "Lost Edinburgh: Edinburgh's Disgrace". www.scotsman.com. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  6. ^ Withers, C. (2001). Lynch, Michael (ed.). The Oxford companion to Scottish history. Oxford Companions Series. Oxford University Press. p. 428. ISBN 978-0-19-211696-3.
  7. ^ a b c Youngson, A.J. (1975) [First published 1966]. The Making of Classical Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 159–161.
  8. ^ McKee, Kirsten Carter (2015). "The Genius Loci of the Athens of the North: The Cultural Significance of Edinburgh's Calton Hill". Garden History. 43: 64–69. ISSN 0307-1243. JSTOR 26589592.
  9. ^ Laurie, William Alexander (1859). The History of Free Masonry and the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Google Books: Seton & Mackenzie. pp. 195.
  10. ^ Stark, John (1823). Picture of Edinburgh: containing a description of the city and its environs. J. Anderson. pp. 78–79. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  11. ^ . Edinburgh Evening News. 20 April 2004. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  12. ^ Edinburgh World Heritage Annual Review 2008-09, p.16
  13. ^ Edinburgh World Heritage, National Monument

Further reading edit

  • Linning, Michael (1819). Report of the proceedings of a numerous and respectable meeting ... with a view to the erection of a national monument ... J. Ballantyne. p. 39.

External links edit

  • Archiseek - National Monument
  • Edinburgh Architecture - National Monument
  • 'A Building from which Derived "All that is Good". Observation on the Intended Reconstruction of the Parthenon on Calton Hill' by Marc Fehlmann in the online art magazine Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide

55°57′17.0″N 3°10′54.5″W / 55.954722°N 3.181806°W / 55.954722; -3.181806

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Not to be confused with the National Wallace Monument in Stirling The National Monument of Scotland on Calton Hill in Edinburgh is Scotland s national memorial to the Scottish soldiers and sailors who died fighting in the Napoleonic Wars 1 2 It was intended according to the inscription to be A Memorial of the Past and Incentive to the Future Heroism of the Men of Scotland 3 The National Monument of ScotlandThe National Monument right viewed from the Salisbury Crags with Nelson s Monument on the left The monument dominates the top of Calton Hill just to the east of Princes Street It was designed during 1823 6 by Charles Robert Cockerell and William Henry Playfair and is modeled upon the Parthenon in Athens Construction started in 1826 and due to the lack of funds was left unfinished in 1829 This circumstance gave rise to various nicknames such as Scotland s Folly Edinburgh s Disgrace 4 the Pride and Poverty of Scotland and Edinburgh s Folly 5 Contents 1 Proposals 1 1 Laying of the foundation stone 2 Ideas for completion 3 Protection 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksProposals editAs early as 1816 the Highland Society of Scotland called for the construction of a national monument to commemorate the fallen in the Napoleonic Wars 1 Initially The Mound was considered as a site but was rejected in favour of Calton Hill 6 National Monument in Scotland Act 1822Act of Parliament nbsp Parliament of the United KingdomLong titleAn Act to incorporate the Contributors for the Erection of a National Monument in Scotland to commemorate the Naval and Military Victory obtained during the late War Citation3 Geo 4 c 100DatesRoyal assent30 July 1822In January 1822 a proposal was put forward to erect a facsimile of the Parthenon at a cost of some 42 000 The appeal found support amongst many prominent Edinburgh residents such as Sir Walter Scott Henry Lord Cockburn and Francis Lord Jeffrey 7 The leading man behind the campaign to model the new monument specifically on the Athenian Parthenon was Thomas Bruce 7th Earl of Elgin who had controversially removed many of the temple s sculptures now known as the Elgin Marbles a decade earlier and brought them to Britain 8 In July 1822 the Royal Association of Contributors to the National Monument of Scotland was incorporated by an Act of Parliament The foundation stone was laid amid great pomp and ceremony the following month 9 nbsp Drawing of the front elevation of the Western Portico of the National Monument of Scotland by William Henry Playfair dated 1826Sixteen months after the initial appeal only 16 000 had been found with the possibility of a 10 000 grant from Parliament In 1826 the building was finally commissioned and work began 7 The builder contracted to execute the work was Messrs William Wallace amp Son 3 Originally the building was planned to have extensive catacombs in the area supporting the main structure to provide a burial place for significant figures 7 10 intended as a Scottish Valhalla 2 A minute of the Royal Association in 1826 stated that the building was to adopt the Temple of Minerva or Parthenon of Athens as the model of the Monument and to restore to the civilised world that celebrated and justly admired edifice without any deviation whatever excepting the adaptation of the sculpture to the events and achievements of the Scottish Heroes whose prowess and glory it is destined to commemorate and perpetuate and part of which monument or building must in terms of the said Act be appropriated as a church or place of Divine worship to be maintained in all time coming by the said Association 3 Laying of the foundation stone edit The foundation stone which weighs 6 tons was laid on 27 August 1822 during the visit of George IV to Scotland The Duke of Hamilton the most senior non royal Scottish noble and the Grand Master of Scotland led a procession of masonic lodges royal commissioners and other dignitaries from Parliament Square to the top of Calton Hill The procession was escorted by the Scots Greys and the 3rd Dragoons The deposition of the inscription plates in the stone was accompanied by cannon salutes from Edinburgh Castle Salisbury Crags Leith Fort and the royal squadron on Leith Roads 2 nbsp 360 view of Calton Hill from the National Monument Edinburgh Nelson s Monument is visible between columns in the centre To the right are views of Firth of Forth To the left are Arthur s Seat Salisbury Crags and Holyrood Park Ideas for completion editEarly proposals for completion work tended to focus on following the original plans however during the early 20th century several alternative plans were proposed 1 as a monument to Queen Victoria 1901 as a monument commemorating the 1707 Act of Union with England 1907 as a new Scottish National Gallery 1907 as a Scottish Parliament building 1908 as a memorial to those who fell in the Great War 1918 George Washington Browne Subsequent attempts to complete the National Monument have never borne fruit for reasons of either cost or lack of local enthusiasm A proposal in 2004 met with a mixed reception 11 The monument was repaired in December 2008 repositioning one of the stone lintels that had moved out of alignment The cost was 100 262 12 13 Protection editThe National Monument was classified as a Category A Listed building in 1966 It is not a scheduled monument 1 References edit source source source source source source source The National Monument on Calton Hill a b c d Historic Environment Scotland Calton Hill off Regent Road National Monument Category A Listed Building LB27820 Retrieved 18 March 2019 a b c Grant James 1887 15 Old and new Edinburgh its history its people and its places Vol 3 Cassell Retrieved 7 November 2011 a b c Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 23 January 1888 Donations to the Museum and Library Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol XXII Edinburgh Neill and Company p 64 Retrieved 15 August 2012 Thomas Guthrie William Garden Blaikie Benjamin Waugh 1901 The Sunday Magazine Strahan amp Company The National Monument on Calton Hill Edinburgh which looks like the fragment of a stupendous ruin and which is an outstanding feature in the views of Auld Reekie is popularly known as Scotland s folly or Edinburgh s disgrace Lost Edinburgh Edinburgh s Disgrace www scotsman com 17 February 2014 Retrieved 22 July 2021 Withers C 2001 Lynch Michael ed The Oxford companion to Scottish history Oxford Companions Series Oxford University Press p 428 ISBN 978 0 19 211696 3 a b c Youngson A J 1975 First published 1966 The Making of Classical Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh University Press pp 159 161 McKee Kirsten Carter 2015 The Genius Loci of the Athens of the North The Cultural Significance of Edinburgh s Calton Hill Garden History 43 64 69 ISSN 0307 1243 JSTOR 26589592 Laurie William Alexander 1859 The History of Free Masonry and the Grand Lodge of Scotland Google Books Seton amp Mackenzie pp 195 Stark John 1823 Picture of Edinburgh containing a description of the city and its environs J Anderson pp 78 79 Retrieved 15 August 2012 Architect flags up plan to finish Edinburgh s Disgrace Edinburgh Evening News 20 April 2004 Archived from the original on 10 March 2007 Retrieved 15 August 2012 Edinburgh World Heritage Annual Review 2008 09 p 16 Edinburgh World Heritage National MonumentFurther reading editLinning Michael 1819 Report of the proceedings of a numerous and respectable meeting with a view to the erection of a national monument J Ballantyne p 39 External links editArchiseek National Monument Edinburgh Architecture National Monument A Building from which Derived All that is Good Observation on the Intended Reconstruction of the Parthenon on Calton Hill by Marc Fehlmann in the online art magazine Nineteenth Century Art Worldwide55 57 17 0 N 3 10 54 5 W 55 954722 N 3 181806 W 55 954722 3 181806 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National Monument of Scotland amp oldid 1166255249, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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