Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
National Monument
Summit of Calton Hill
he
National Monument
is often referred to as “Edinburgh's Disgrace”, yet many
locals admire this unfinished and somewhat ungainly attempt to replicate the
Parthenon atop Calton Hill. Begun as a memorial to the dead of the Napoleonic
Wars, the project's shortage of funds led architect William Playfair to ensure that
even with just twelve of the massive columns completed, the folly would still serve
as a striking landmark.
City Observatory
Summit of Calton Hill
Designed by William Playfair in 1818, the
City Observatory
is the largest of the
buildings at the summit of Calton Hill. Because of pollution and the advent of street
lighting, which impaired views of the stars, the observatory proper had to be
relocated to Blackford Hill before the end of the nineteenth century, but the
equipment here continues to be used by students. At the corner of the curtain walls
is the castellated Observatory House, one of the few surviving buildings by James
Craig, designer of the New Town.
The Water of Leith
Slicing a diagonal cleft from the Pentland hills southwest of town, the
Water of Leith
twists and churns, carrying its peaty, golden-brown burden towards he Shore, Leith's
(and now Edinburgh's) attractive old harbour. En route, although comfortably
bypassing the city's Old Town, the river trundles by old villages that once depended on
its power to drive mills. Nature abounds: swans and mallards are commonly sighted
under the canopy, while otters, mink and kingfishers make sporadic appearances. Art
enthusiasts should keep their eyes peeled for the six life-size Antony Gormley cast-iron
statues
collecting river debris along the way - look down from the bridge at
Stockbridge for one of them. he satellite attractions of the
Scottish National Gallery of
Modern Art
near Dean Village and the
Royal Botanic Gardens
beside Stockbridge make
a good draw from the river's edge. Downstream, the river's final twist opens wide as the
boats and gourmet restaurants of Leith's harbour come into view.
The Shore
possesses
two of Edinburgh's five Michelin-starred establishments while the wealth of quaint
trad-pubs, cafés and floating restaurants on offer make this the ideal finishing point for
a
walk
along the river.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
75 Belford Rd • Daily 10am-5pm (until 6pm in Aug) • Free; entrance charge for some temporary exhibitions •
T
0131 624 6200,
W
nationalgalleries.org • A free bus service connects the National Gallery of Scotland with the Modern One and Two galleries (outbound:
daily 11am-4pm, every hour on the hour except 1pm; return: 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm & 5pm)
Set in spacious parkland at the far northwestern fringe of the New Town, just west of
quaint, riverside Dean Village,
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
was the first
collection in Britain devoted solely to post nineteenth-century painting and sculpture.
WATER OF LEITH WALKWAY
The Water of Leith flows in a northeasterly direction from the Pentland Hills to The Shore in
Leith, over a distance of 24 miles. Following the final twelve miles of the river's course is the
Water of Leith Walkway
, making for a lovely riverside walk - a popular seven-mile stretch is
from Colinton Village in the southwest (bus #10 from Princes St) to The Shore. For more
information or to download a map, see
W
www.waterofleith.org.uk.