Calton Hill

People come to the hill not only to admire the picturesque views but also to visit historic and cultural monuments, which had been erected here throughout many centuries. However, the hill did not always belong to Edinburgh. The city took possession of the hill only in 1859. The local land remembers bloody events. There used to be a prison and the execution yard here once. Sometime later, a building of the Scottish government appeared on the Hill -  St Andrew's House.

William Henry Playfair, the celebrated in the country architect worked on the creation of this place. He surrounded the hill with wide avenues on its three sides. Here you shall admire beautiful buildings which were once dwelt by famous artists, descendants of the French royals, and other renowned and wealthy citizens.

Playfair also projected and created the Scottish National Monument which is also located on the Calton Hill. It was intended to resemble Parthenon, the one in Athens. He was aimed to immortalize the memory to all the soldiers who had died during the wars with Napoleon. Unfortunately, the monument had not been finished due to the lack of funds. That’s why you can still see here the unfinished skeleton raising over the hill. However, the locals love it as it is and are not planning to change it.

Another interesting building on the hill is worth being mentioned - Edinburgh Castle which stands on the top of the extinct volcano.