The National Monument Becomes Scotland’s Shame… All Because It Ran Out of Funds Midway

▲ Due to construction halting after only a few columns were erected due to lack of funds, the National Monument has earned the nickname “Scotland’s Shame.”

Text & Photo / Jiuwu Efu

Edinburgh is not only the capital of Scotland but also its second-largest city. With its long history and natural environment, the city boasts many historically significant buildings and beautiful landmarks. As a result, both the Old Town and New Town of Edinburgh have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

However, among famous landmarks such as Edinburgh Castle and St Giles' Cathedral, there is a Roman-style monument that locals call“Scotland’s Shame.”.

▲ From Calton Hill, you can see the distant shark-fin-like St Andrew’s House in Holyrood Park.

Located on the eastern side of Edinburgh’s New Town, Calton Hill is a small hill. Visitors only need to walk up the slope for a few minutes to reach the top, where they’ll find a Greek-style structure. At first glance, one might think they’ve arrived at the Parthenon—but a closer look quickly reveals the difference: this monument is far from finished.

It turns out,this building was intended to be a National Monument commemorating soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars. Modeled after the Parthenon, construction began in 1826. But due to insufficient funding, it was forced to stop after just 12 columns were completed.Nearly 200 years later, it remains exactly as it was left. Because the reason for the halt is so embarrassing for Scots, the monument has been nicknamed “Scotland’s Shame,” “Edinburgh’s Shame,” and even “Edinburgh’s Folly.”

▲ From the Dugald Stewart Monument, you can overlook Edinburgh’s Old Town, making it a favorite photo spot.

Since “Scotland’s Shame” consists of just a single row of columns, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to see. But at the top of the hill, you can also see the around 30-meter-high Nelson Monument. This tower was built to honor Vice Admiral Nelson, who defeated the Spanish and French fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 but was fatally shot and died. The monument was erected in his memory and is one of Calton Hill’s iconic structures.

%The project was initiated as a fundraising effort to establish a memorial.