The nine-foot bronze statue of David Hume sits on the Royal Mile, positioned directly in front of the High Court of Justiciary. Created by sculptor Alexander Stoddart and unveiled in nineteen ninety-seven, the monument depicts the Scottish…
Scottish Enlightenment Thinkers
This walk introduces you to the monuments and resting places of the brilliant minds who shaped the Scottish Enlightenment in Edinburgh.
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1. David Hume Statue
2. Adam Smith Statue
The statue of Adam Smith is a ten-foot bronze figure standing on a massive stone plinth outside Saint Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile. Unveiled on July fourth, two thousand eight, it depicts the Scottish economist and philosopher in his…
3. Canongate Kirkyard
Canongate Kirkyard is identified by the sight of ancient stone monuments huddled around the seventeenth-century Canongate Kirk on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Established in sixteen eighty-eight, this burial ground provided a final resting…
4. Old Calton Cemetery
Old Calton Burial Ground is marked by a tall, tapering obelisk that pierces the skyline of Calton Hill. Established in seventeen eighteen by the Society of the Incorporated Trades of Calton, the graveyard sits on the slopes above Waterloo…
5. Dugald Stewart Monument
The Dugald Stewart Monument is a circular temple defined by nine fluted Corinthian columns standing on a high stone podium. Completed in eighteen thirty-one, the structure occupies a prominent position on Calton Hill and is recognized for…
6. Playfair Monument
The Playfair Monument is a Greek Doric structure built of stone, featuring a blind colonnade of fluted columns and a pyramidal roof. Completed in eighteen twenty-six, it occupies the southeast corner of the wall surrounding the City…