A UNESCO World Heritage Site: Calton Hill

The panoramic views from Edinburgh's Calton Hill have astonished and inspired visitors for centuries. Major Edinburgh landmarks can be seen from here including Arthur’s Seat, the Crags behind Holyrood Palace and the Parliament, Leith and the Firth of Forth. Princes Street in its New Town grid and the Royal Mile which climbs up towards Edinburgh Castle are all also visible.

Calton Hill is  famous for its collection of historic monuments, which form some of the most important landmarks of the city. One of the most striking is the National Monument, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens and intended to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars. The National Monument was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today.