Scott Monument, Princes Street, Edinburgh

The Scott Monument, located on Princes Street in Edinburgh, was designed by George Meikle Kemp and constructed between 1840 and 1844. This tall Gothic monument stands at 61 meters and features a five-tiered spire set on an arched base, which is supported by diagonal flying buttresses on a terrace that was widened to accommodate the structure. It is made of Binny sandstone and is adorned with crocketted pinnacles, quatrefoil decoration, and gargoyles.

At the base of the monument is a statue by Sir John Steell, created in 1846. This statue, made of Carrara marble, depicts a seated figure of Sir Walter Scott, wrapped in Border plaid, alongside his deerhound Maida, positioned on a low plinth. There are also smaller statues located in Gothic canopied niches, representing characters from Scott's novels and notable Scottish poets.

To the southwest, there is a polygonal Gothic timber ticket office featuring a slated conical roof, Tudor-arched leaded stained glass windows, and a crocketted timber parapet.

Inside, a spiral staircase in the southwest pier leads to the galleries. The first floor includes a carved, timber-panelled, vaulted museum room with stained glass windows. The monument is complemented by a retaining wall and steps that feature a trefoil-pierced balustrade, a moulded hand-rail, and corniced piers leading to two pairs of stone steps.