Scott Monument

This Victorian Gothic monument rises above Princes Street Gardens in memory of the novelist Sir Walter Scott, completed in 1844 to a design by John Steell and George Meikle Kemp. Built from Binny sandstone that has darkened over time, its spire climbs more than sixty metres and is decorated with dozens of carved figures drawn from Scott's writings. A narrow spiral staircase of nearly three hundred steps leads to viewing platforms overlooking the city. At its base sits a white Carrara marble statue of Scott and his dog Maida.