Scott Monument Monument

Address: East Princes St Gardens, Edinburgh EH2 2EJ, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/scott-monument

Hours: Mon-Sun 9:00am-6:00pm (tower access varies; stairs usually open during museum hours)

Admission: Free (public monument); museum admission varies

The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic tower in central Edinburgh, Scotland, erected in the 1840s as a memorial to novelist Sir Walter Scott and designed by George Meikle Kemp.

The monument rises to roughly 200 feet (about 61 m) and contains multiple viewing galleries reached by a narrow spiral staircase of 287 steps. A large seated statue of Sir Walter Scott occupies the central plinth at the base and the summit offers panoramic views across Princes Street Gardens and the Old Town skyline.

The structure was designed by George Meikle Kemp and constructed in the 1840s as a public memorial to Sir Walter Scott; it has since been maintained as a landmark and viewpoint in the city.

It stands in Princes Street Gardens, close to Princes Street and Edinburgh Waverley railway station, in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre.

• Height and steps: Around 200 feet (about 61 m) tall and reached by a narrow spiral staircase of 287 steps; the upper viewing platform has limited space and can close in high winds.
• Best views: Provides direct views toward Edinburgh Castle, the New Town and Princes Street Gardens; clear days give the best visibility from the summit.

What to See#

• Statue of Sir Walter Scott: A seated marble statue by Sir John Steell occupies the central plinth at the base and faces towards Princes Street.
• Observation galleries and staircase: A narrow spiral staircase leads to intermediate galleries and an upper viewing platform at about 61 m; the stair is tight and the summit platform is exposed to wind.

Located in central Edinburgh on Princes Street Gardens. A short walk from Waverley Station or Edinburgh Bus Station; many local buses pass along Princes Street.

• Climb the steps early in the morning to avoid crowds and get the clearest photographic lines of the monument's Gothic pinnacles against the sky.
• The monument's steps are steep and narrow-exercise caution with small children and during wet weather.
• Check the adjacent Princes Street Gardens for the best vantage points and for a calm spot to sit with an espresso.