Warn
out with excessive work in an attempt to pay off his creditors
and those of his bankrupt publishers and printers, Sir Walter
Scott died at his home, Abbotsford in 1832. He was regarded by
his contemporaries as one of Scotland's greatest writers, and
no time was lost in erecting a fitting monument to his genius.
The architect was George Meikle Kemp, a self taught draughtsman,
who won a competition for the memorial's design in 1838. The 61m
high monument went up between 1840 and 1846, a riot of ornate
Gothicism with a seated statue of Scott beneath the central vault.
In contrast to the sandstone building, the statue was carved from
white Carrara marble, the block from which sculpted happily having
survived falling into Livorno harbor on its way from Italy to
Leith. Scott is shown draped in a plaid, with his favorite deerhound,
Maida. The monument's 64 niches contain statues that represent
many of the characters from Scott's works-fans of the Waverley
novels can identify their favorites. Climb right to the top of
the Monument for sweeping views of the city centre; the ticket
price includes a certificate to prove that you really did it.
If the prospect of the 287 steps seems rather daunting, you could
go as far as the first level only. Here you will find a small room
that displays information about Scott's life and work, and there
are also headphones that you can use to listen to readings and musical
settings of his novels.
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