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Dugald Stewart Monument – Nelson Monument, Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

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Hiking trails & Routes

Dugald Stewart Monument – Nelson Monument, Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

Easy

113

hikers

Dugald Stewart Monument – Nelson Monument, Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

00:40

2.42km

40m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: April 3, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

880 m

Path to Calton Hill

Highlight • Viewpoint

Calton Hill in Edinburgh is the city's most prominent elevation at 103 meters high. It is at the east end of Princes Street. On Calton Hill are the National Monument (an unfinished Parthenon replica by William Henry Playfair), the Nelson Monument, the Dugald Stewart Monument, the Playfair Monument, the Parliament Cairn, the old Royal High School, Robert Burns Monument, Political Martyrs' Monument, American Civil War Memorial, Old Observatory House and City Observatory. Since 1887 the Portuguese cannon has been on the hill.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

960 m

Dugald Stewart Monument

Highlight • Historical Site

On Calton Hill, a location rich with monuments, you will discover the Duagald Stewart Monument, a memorial to the philosopher who was a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment period.

The monument was completed in 1831 and is unmistakably based on the Athenian architecture of ancient Greece.

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1.07 km

Gothic Tower, City Observatory, Edinburgh

Highlight • Viewpoint

The old city observatory probably takes up the largest area on Calton Hill. The middle building is again reminiscent of a Greek temple. No wonder, since William Henry Playfair, who later also worked on the National Monument, was responsible for this. It went into operation in 1818, the domed building with the copper roof is the telescope building. At the other end stands an ancient structure, the Thomas Short Observatory, built in the mid-18th century - its Gothic style is in stark contrast to the ancient borrowings of the other monuments on Calton Hill.
Source: myhighlands.de/calton-hill-edinburgh

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.12 km

View from Calton Hill

Highlight • Viewpoint

1.27 km

View of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

Highlight • Viewpoint

Quite a range of historically interesting buildings and monuments combined with a superb view - great for a sundowner on the grass.

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1.47 km

Nelson Monument, Calton Hill

Highlight • Monument

The Nelson Tower was completed in 1816, to commemorate Nelson's victory at Trafalgar, subsequently restored in 2009. It marks the highest point of Calton Hill (171m) and the monument itself is 32m high.

A time ball was installed in 1853 and is raised just before 1pm, and at precisely 1pm is dropped from the top of the mast.

Tip by

1.57 km

City Observatory and First Cannon of Campbeltown, Edinburgh

Highlight • Viewpoint

1.84 km

Old Calton Burial Ground

Highlight • Monument

located at Calton Hill to the north-east of the city centre. The burial ground was opened in 1718, and is the resting place of several notable Scots, including philosopher David Hume, scientist John Playfair, rival publishers William Blackwood and Archibald Constable, and clergyman Dr Robert Candlish. It is also the site of the Political Martyrs' Monument, an obelisk erected to the memory of a number of political reformers, and Scotland's American Civil War Memorial.

Tip by

2.42 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

1.26 km

668 m

350 m

123 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

1.08 km

606 m

310 m

186 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Thursday 7 May

14°C

8°C

24 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Dugald Stewart Monument – Nelson Monument, Calton Hill loop from Edinburgh Waverley

Path to Calton Hill

Dugald Stewart Monument

Gothic Tower, City Observatory, Edinburgh

View from Calton Hill

View of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

Nelson Monument, Calton Hill

City Observatory and First Cannon of Campbeltown, Edinburgh

Old Calton Burial Ground

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