Scott Monument and New Town

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

11584

Title

Scott Monument and New Town of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

Artist / maker

Begbie, Thomas

Date

1887

Size

8.3 x 17.1 cm

Type

Glass negative

Location

City Art Centre

Copyright

The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie Prints ; The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

The Scott Monument was built as a memorial to the writer Sir Walter Scott. Construction took place between 1840-1846 on the George Kemp design. Two hundred and eighty seven steps take you to the top, offering views along Edinburgh's Princes Street.

Edinburgh's New Town, which lies to the north of the Old Town, was designed by James Craig. Craig was the winner of a design competition held in 1766 which invited contestants to submit plans for the city's northward expansion. This expansion had become necessary due to terrible overcrowding in the Old Town. Based on a regular geometric scheme around the three streets of Princes Street, George Street and Queen Street the New Town continued to be developed until 1830. It has now been classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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