George IV Arch

Doric structure in the form of a gateway, although traditionally it is known as the Triumphal Arch. It reflects Harrison’s interest in Greek architecture (eg. he made many drawings based on the Propylea of the Athenian Acropolis); the unfluted columns however are not true Greek Doric. It is built of Mona marble from Red Wharf quarry and comprises two pairs of columns set between antae, forming a central cobbled carriage-way flanked by narrower footways. Other Classical detail includes Doric cornice and frieze with guttae and mutules. The frieze is broken on both sides by inscribed panels in Welsh facing the town and Latin facing the pier. George IV’s visit to Edinburgh the following year coincided with the laying of the foundation stone of a grander Greek Revival monument, the National Monument on Calton Hill.