Calton Hill

Calton Hill in Edinburgh is home to several notable monuments, including the National Monument of Scotland and a historic cannon. The National Monument of Scotland is an unfinished structure inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. It was intended to commemorate Scottish soldiers and sailors who died in the Napoleonic Wars1. Due to funding issues, the monument was never completed, earning it the nickname “Scotland’s Disgrace”. The cannon on Calton Hill has a fascinating history. It bears the Royal Arms of Spain and was originally transported to Portuguese colonies in Southeast Asia before 1785. It later ended up in Burma, where it was captured by the British during the invasion of Burma in 1885 and subsequently presented to Edinburgh in 1886.