National Monument of Scotland

 

Not too far from the phantom Calton Jail, the Burns Monument, and New Calton Burial Ground is the National Monument of Scotland. When we say not too far, its up another hill, but it is in the general area of Calton so therefore it's only a stones throw away if you aim upward.

Anyway, on Calton Hill there is several monuments dedicated to various things. It wouldn't surprise us that the hill is renamed to Monument Hill in the next several decades, but that is by the by. Somehow we still missed a couple of them despite wandering around up there for ages, however we now have a reason to go back and finish what we started so keep your eyes peeled.

This monument in particular is Scotland's national memorial to the sailors and soldiers who died during the Napoleonic Wars. It was designed by Charles Robert Cockerell and William Henry Playfair between 1823 and 1826 and was inspired by the Parthenon. Construction on the monument began in 1826 but only three years later it was abandoned due to lack of funding.

It is interesting to note that in support of such a monument to honour the fallen were notable Edinburgh residents such as Sir Walter Scott, Lord Cockburn, and Lord Jeffrey, but the total cost was an estimated £42,000, sixteen of which was raised following the appeal. Parliament were potentially going to grant another £10,000 but this would still have fallen short of the total, however building commenced anyway.

The monument was originally planned to be complete with catacombs that supported the main structure. It was intended that this would be a burial site for Edinburgh's elite, those who were significant, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence to support that this came into fruition.

As an incomplete structure, many ideas over the last century or so have popped up and clearly been quelled on how to repurpose/complete it. It was intended to complete it and have the dedication remain, but then in 1901 plans were made to convert it into a monument to Queen Victoria. This didn't go through, nor did the 1907 plans for a monument of the 1707 Act of Union with England or as a new Scottish National Gallery.

A year later plans surfaced to turn the monument into a Scottish Parliament Building but this along with completion was abandoned too. 10 years later it was brought up that it should be completed and made into a memorial to those who died in the Great War, but along with any other attempt to complete the monument, including that in 2004, never came about as no one was very enthused.

The incomplete monument it seems, means more to the people of Scotland than any complete structure would. It's been around this long as it was, and the sentiment remains as its intent. Completion would only bring conversion, leave it alone.

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