The Playfair Monument on Calton Hill

As you wind your way up the lonely road from Princes Street to the top of Calton Hill, the Playfair Monument may be the last thing on your mind. Be that as it may, this lonely structure atop the hillside at the east end of Princes Street gives an early signal to those taking in the sights of the hill.

Edinburgh's Playfair Monument on Calton Hill

[image credit: zawtowers]

The Playfair Monument is named after John Playfair, who died in 1819. While locals may not find his name as memorable as some others found nearby – Sir Walter Scott and John Knox come to mind, not to mention Scotland’s untoppable Rabbie Burns – the sight of the Playfair Monument is a welcome one to those who travel to or live in Edinburgh.

Overlooking The City From Playfair Monument

From its situation on top of Calton Hill, the Playfair Monument overlooks Princes Street and gives good sight lines out to Edinburgh Castle (the highest point in the city aside from Arthur’s Seat).

The Playfair Monument is not one of the cities more ostentatious sights, but in its shadow both local and tourist can taste the sweet air off the Firth of Forth and find themselves at home among the green grass and the rolling hills nestled within this perculiar city.

View from the Castle toward Calton Hill. Get your magnifying glasses ladies and gents, the Playfair Monument is located "between" the Dugald Stewart and National Monument of Edinburgh.

[image credit: Laurel Fan]

Only a few minutes’ walk from Edinburgh’s main attractions, including the above mentioned Arthur’s Seat, the New Town, the Royal Mile, Leith Walk (site of the 1990s film “Trainspotting,” directed by Danny Boyle), the Playfair Monument is a reminder of days gone by and natural philosophy, a sight which recalls the dedication of Edinburgh University’s professors and the city’s well-known precedence in mathematics and science.

The inscription on the podium of Playfair Monument, Edinburgh

[image credit: airminded]

As modest as its home city, the Playfair Monument is a well-fitted tribute to the esteemed mathematics professor John Playfair, whose memory has lasted over two centuries and whose work lives on to this day.