Sir Walter Scott Monument

Gorgeous monument and certainly with a visit. There is a small park where you can sit and gaze at the ornate design. We saw people picnicking there as well. You are able to tour the inside but we were content to just walk around and appreciate this magnificent tribute.

A workout with a VIEW!!!
The ‘gothic rocket’ aka the Scott Monument was built in 1844 to commemorate Scottish writer, Sir Walter Scott (a statue of him sits at the base). At 200 Feet Tall and 287 Steps — climbing to the top of the Scott Monument in Edinburgh is a lot like taking a step class, except you will be rewarded with 360 degree views of Edinburgh — which can only be bettered by a climb up Arthur’s Seat.
I willingly paid my £4 entry fee and braced myself for an arduous climb. The stone spiral stair case was narrow, had tiny triangular steps and had to accommodate 2 way traffic!
I gave a wee shout to see if anyone was coming down, heard nothing so made my way up, hugging the wall and wishing I didn’t have such a bulky tote bag. Just when I was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic there was a light at the end of the ‘tunnel’ and I entered a stone landing. Wow! That wasn’t so bad! Then I realised I was only on the first of 4 viewing platforms. This first set of steps winds up the outside legs of the monument and the viewing platform encircles a wee chapel like museum. This is the largest platform and can accommodate lots of visitors, so its easy to walk all the way around, taking time to get some great pics.
The viewing areas get smaller as you go up so you may need to join a ‘queue’ that slowly makes it’s way round to the next set of steps. Just take your time and enjoy the view…
By the time I reached the final set of steps I was getting tired and a bit sweaty but the photo breaks on each platform helped break up the climbing and provided some fresh air. What amazed me the most was that at each platform I seemed to be getting closer to the views; Calton Hill, The Balmoral, Arthur’s Seat, The Castle all got bigger as I went up — even though the linear distance was the same. After taking tons of pictures I slowly made my way back down, once again stopping at each platform for a second look.
I can’t believe I waited so long to go up The Scott Monument! It’s a fantastic way to see the city for visitors and locals — and you get a bit of a workout thrown in — there is NO LIFT!

A nice, quick thing to do in the centre of Edinburgh. For £4 (as far as I remember), you can ascend the steps to the top of the monument, for an excellent view across the city. There is a small exhibition about the excellent Walter Scott, who has played a major role in this city’s culture. QUICK FACT: The railway station Waverley is named after a novel by Walter Scott, and I understand it’s the only railway station in the UK to be named after a novel.
The ascent is not easy, I must warn you of that. There are a lot of steps, and it gets gradually narrower as you ascend. For a tall person like myself, this is quite annoying. On top of this, the stairs are not wide enough to accommodate two people in most places, so I spent my entire ascent shouting «coming up!» to avoid awkward meetings… The lack of space continues at the actual viewing levels, so you will without a doubt come into very close contact with people you’ve never met. Maybe you’d consider that a good thing? I don’t know.
Anyway, the reward for reaching the top is an excellent view across the city. You can see in all directions– the castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill, the sea, the train tracks. Whatever you want to look at. Great photo ops.
All in all, I probably won’t climb it again, because of the cost and the narrowness, but I do recommend the Scott Monument for people visiting this beautiful city.

The day I landed in Edinburgh, I hauled my jet-​lagged self out into the windy late September weather and walked down to Princes Street. I saw the Scott Monument long before I got to it — it’s fairly hard to miss that big gothic tower poking through the skyline — and made an immediate beeline. When I did find myself at the base, I grabbed my mobile, made the executive decision to spend the $ 10 it would cost to send a message home from my Canadian phone and sent this very important text:
«So, I’ve basically moved to Narnia…»
If ever there was a beacon for how badass and whimsical this city is, The Scott Monument is it. Sure, we have the castle, but you’re EXPECTING that. The Scott Monument? It’s like a surprise declaration of whimsical dominance: you were expecting a castle? SURPRISE! Here’s a WHOLE CITY of epic sh*t!
Having been here for a year now, one of my favourite things still remains walking around a corner and getting surprised by it looming over Princes Street Gardens. When folks from home visit and stop dead in their tracks, I LIVE for the moment I get to nonchalantly say, «Oh that? Yeah that’s just a badass gothic tower in the middle of the city… welcome to Edinburgh!»

I’ve spent so many hours gazing at the beautiful Scott monument since arriving in Edinburgh, and today found out you’re allowed to climb up inside of it! Gorgeous views from the top and many an intimate moment with the monument itself. Beyond worthy of a stop by! For only £4 you get to climb up and get a view of the whole of Edinburgh, and investigate the intricacies of the monument along the way. Truly beautiful from every perspective!

I had absolutely no idea who Sir Walter Scott was. And after briefly trying to read some of the info, I got bored, so I still don’t know much except he wrote a book and some poetry…
Anyways…you don’t realize how tall this thing actually is until you hike to the very top. Great views and worth the £4 and 287 steps.
Since everything in Edinburgh closes around 5:00 or 5:30pm, save this for last since its open until 6:30pm.

I have lived in Edinburgh my life, and I can truly say that the Scott Monument has one of the best views of Edinburgh. I would recommend it for all tourists. however I must warn you that at the stairs and at the top of the monument are very narrow, so I wouldn’t recommend to anyone with vertigo or a fear of highs.
It is open from April through September: Monday to Sunday 10am — 7pm and October through March: Monday to Sunday 10am — 4pm; last admission 3.30pm. Due to high winds, the Monument may be closed due to safety reasons, please check @EdinCulture before travelling to the Monument.

My friends from the US were visiting me and it was a nice day so we decided to conquer the Scott Monument. After 3 drinks at Devil’s Advocate. Anywho, it was a load of fun even though it was crowded and DANG are those staircases narrow. Beyond narrow! Like, one person wide. But if everyone is patient and works together we can all go up and down and get the amazing views. Stop on each level to take picture and look out onto Princes Street and beyond. Only £4 and lots of fun. One of my friends says it was her favorite thing that we did the whole trip. Also keep to the right please!

The first time I ventured to Edinburgh I was immediately dazzled by the sight of this ominous, darkly gothic tower spearing into the sky in the midst of all the crowds and sunshine of Princes Street. Imagine my surprise when my then partner, now husband informed me that we could CLIMB the thing. Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, sign me up for that! My partner and I shelled out a few very reasonable pounds (I believe it’s 4 quid per person) and away we went, along with a friend who found the whole experience a bit questionable due to fear of heights. As such, let this be your warning now: if you don’t like heights, have health problems, or if you don’t like rapidly narrowing staircase walking space, perhaps you should give the Scott Monument a miss. If however you’re like me and adore the majestic sights provided from a bit of elevation, as well as maybe the notion that all those damned steps will burn off that ice cream or brunch you just had, well. Go on, then!
It goes without saying that the Scott Monument is at the perfect location for an impressive vista. Once at the top, you are featured with the glorious expanse of Edinburgh out all the way to the tiny Forth Rail Bridge, just barely visible in the distance. From another side, you can see Arthur’s Seat in all its glory. Yet another side you can take in all the tiny people on Princes Street and the wee double-​decker buses, looking like toys from the distance. Even better, there’s a tiny, tiny museum room sort of in the middle of the thing, so you can stop and catch your breath and perhaps even read a bit about its construction or the gentleman behind it. It’s absolutely incredible: worth every pound, to my mind.
I’ve now been twice to the Scott Monument, once as a tourist, second as a permanent-​tourist-​turned-​hostess for visiting friends, and each time was worth every penny. It’s the perfect spot to bring friends and family to visit, or to bring yourself if you are visiting Edinburgh for the first time. A word of caution however: it can be a bit windy at the top, so hold on to your hats/​tickets/​small objects at the top!

Awesome views of Edinburgh and great overall monument.
The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument that is simply 200ft of awesomeness. It towers over Princes Street and overlooks the Princes Street Gardens and it provides awesome all-​around views of the city.
The steps up are plenty –narrow as well mind you –and the crowds definitely come out during the day, especially if the day is nice. So stop by early in the morning if you can to catch some great views and take some pictures.
The price of admission is £4.00 and it is well worth it. The architecture, the park surrounding it, and the views that can be had are all reasons to stop by and visit the Scott Monument. This is a place I always stop by at and admire every time I am walking on Princes Street.

Hey mom, I can see the highlands from up here.
For 4 quid, you get to climb up a narrow-​as-​hell staircase and peep the New Town and Old Town area from pretty far up.
Beautiful monument.

Man könnte fast sagen, hier musste jemand irgendetwas kompensieren — so groß ist das Sir Walter Scott Monument. Nämlich so roundabout 60m. Es ist also nicht zu übesehen, aus nahezu keinem Ort Edinburghs.
Es liegt am Rand des Princes Gardens, direkt an der Princes Street liegt dieses etwa 60m hohe «Gebilde». Auf einem Podest sitzt, Blickrichtung zur Princes Street, Walter Scott mit seinem Hund.
Man kann natürlich — wenn man den Obulus dafür entrichtet (z. Zt. 4£) — die 287 Stufen nach ganz oben steigen und von dort einen großartigen Blick über die Stadt genießen

Simply gorgeous. A small warning though. The staircases are quite narrow, so be careful.

This is by far a favourite place for me in edi.
£4 later you will enjoy an amazing view of the city.
Each level you enter has its own character with a view. You will be able to see Edinburgh castle, Arthur’s seat, Nelson monument, the Balmoral, and so much more!
It will be windy so be careful!
Don’t forget your camera and mind all 287 steps!
When you come down the man at the desk will give you a certificate that states you climbed the stairs and conquered!
(You get one at Nelsons monument as well).
I highly recommend climbing this treasure!
It is so beautifully made!

The Scott Monument is a beautiful architectural structure situated in Princes Street Gardens.
Definitely worth climbing the 287 stairs to the top for beautiful panoramic views of Edinburgh. The stairs are spiral and narrow so it can be a bit tight with two-​way traffic. There are lookouts along the way if you need to take a break or aren’t up to climbing to the top. The cost is £4.
I was fortunate to go at a time when it wasn’t busy so the minimal two-​way traffic was tolerable. If it was busy, I could see where it would not be enjoyable.

The Scott Monument provides some of the prettiest views of Edinburgh and it’s a unique piece of architecture that’s attractive from the ground as well. A full 287 steps to the top, the upper staircases are quite narrow so folks who dislike enclosed or steep spaces– and larger people as well– should steer clear of anything beyond the first observation deck.
The full ascent, some time for photo taking, a look around the on-​site history room, and descent can be achieved in an hour or so.

£3 and a cold, kinda rainy day makes for a perfect trip up and down this monument. The views are still pretty great with high clouds AND you get to enjoy it on your own without a bunch of tourists.
I would never want to visit this place on a busy day. It was hard enough passing the two groups of people we did… in fact… it was hard enough getting ourselves through those upper stairs!
Definitely visit here if you’re in town — even if only to view it’s greatness up close from the grass below.

Went there 20 years ago. Only cost 1 pound back then. It was awesome. Make sure you find all the different stairs up to the top.
Good for kids over age 9.

287 steps, narrow steps. Though you don’t have to climb all of them, but you might as well. The view once you reach even the first set of steps is beautiful. You can see all of Edinburgh and it’s lovely buildings, the castle and just the entire city. The steps are narrow so if you’re coming up, people can’t be coming down, this can cause a traffic jam, but there’s nothing wrong with admiring the view just a little longer. I think it was 3GBP to enter, not pricey at all.
This is another must do in Edinburgh.

I don’t think I sufficiently appreciate what Sir Walter means to the Scots. But this is a cool monument. It looks like the hollowed out spire of a Gothic Cathedral — if you forgot the Cathedral.
The monument is 20 stories tall. Climbing the twisty, narrow spiral staircase to the top is very very cool. And it was completed in 1846 — long before the Washington monument. (Not sure the insurance company would let tourists scamper up to the top if the monument were in the U.S. It’s not for those who suffer from claustrophobia or those with cardiac problems.)
The view from the top is spectacular. The guards at the bottom are quite chatty and are delighted to tell you about Walter or anything else for that matter.
I don’t think I would have climbed the 287 steps if my son hadn’t wanted to. Thanks, Jake. I enjoyed it.

If there’s a heaven, Sir Walter Scott must be wandering round beaming from ear to ear.
Aside from being remembered as one of Scotland’s finest writers, he has his own monument on Princes Street. Built in the 1840s, it’s a magnificent gothic monument that towers over Princes Street Gardens at an impressive height of two hundred feet. Bill Bryson described it as ‘a gothic rocket ship’ but to my eye, it looks like a cross between a Louise Bourgeois sculpture and a Tim Burton castle with it’s towering spires and black sandstone.
Open 10am — 4pm in the winter and 10am — 7pm in the summer, it’s well worth the cost of £3 admission if you have the nerve and the stamina to climb the spiral staircase to the different viewing platforms.