The panoramic views from Calton Hill
Major landmarks can be seen from a bird’s eye view: Arthur’s Seat with
the Crags behind Holyrood Palace and the Parliament, Leith and the Firth
of Forth, Princes Street in its New Town grid and the Royal Mile climbing up towards the Castle.
The City Observatory is also located here, a Greek temple
styled building designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818. It was here
that Professor Thomas Henderson, appointed first Astronomer Royal for
Scotland in 1834, discovered how to measure parallax and the distance of
the stars in this building.
One of the most striking is the National Monument,
inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Intended to commemorate the
Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was never
completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today.
Nelson Monument,
shaped like an up-turned telescope. Completed in 1816 the monument
commemorates the death of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar
in 1805. However in 1852 a time ball was added to the top to enable
ships moored in the Firth of Forth to set their time-pieces accurately.
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| Dreams come in the real |
Located
at the highest point in Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat is a dormant
volcano which gives incredible views of the city. It sits at 251 m above
sea level and is a must-visit spot for anyone traveling to Edinburgh.
famous for its collection of historic monuments
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