Scott Monument

Scott Monument is a neo-Gothic building from 1846 erected in honor of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) - a Scottish lawyer, poet and famous novelist, author of such timeless bestsellers as "Ivanhoe" and "Rob Roy". The 60 m high tower has a very rich sculptural setting - there are 93 human heads and figures, two dogs and one pig. The tower is a great viewpoint.

The largest sculpture, by John Steell, depicts a sitting figure of Scott, at whose feet rests his favorite dog - Maida. Other figures are representations of characters from Scott's novel and images of the most famous Scottish poets. The highest of the viewing galleries can be reached after climbing the winding stone stairs, 288 degrees.

The author of the monument's design, George Meikle Kemp, was a carpenter and self-taught architect. He took part in the competition announced in 1832 under the pseudonym John Morvo and won unanimously. He did not survive the opening of his building - he drowned in unexplained circumstances in 1844.