Playfair Monument

Who it remembers

John Playfair (1748–1819) taught mathematics and natural philosophy in Edinburgh and is best remembered for explaining James Hutton's ideas about the age of the Earth to a wider readership. His friends paid for the memorial, and the Latin inscription on the podium records his birth and death and notes that it stands where he once dedicated a temple to Urania, the muse of astronomy, which suits its position beside the observatory.

What to look for

Rather than a statue or column, the monument is a square, cube-like portico with fluted Doric half-columns on each face and a band of carved wreaths above. It is built in polished ashlar and is Category A listed. Because it is set into the observatory enclosure wall, many visitors walk past it on the way to the bigger structures, so pause to read the inscription and look at the crisp Greek detailing.

Making a Calton Hill circuit

The monument sits a few steps from the unfinished National Monument, so the two pair naturally with William Henry Playfair's other work on the hill, including the Dugald Stewart Monument. Climb up from Regent Road or Waterloo Place, take a slow loop around the summit for the views over the city and the Forth, then head back down towards Leith Walk or Broughton Street for food.

Highlights

• Memorial to mathematician John Playfair, erected 1825–26
• Designed by his nephew, architect William Henry Playfair
• Square Greek Doric portico in polished ashlar
• Category A listed and built into the City Observatory wall
• Latin inscription recording a temple to Urania on the site

Good to know

• It stands on open hillside on Calton Hill, so there is no ticket or entry to arrange.
• The paths up Calton Hill are steep in places; the summit is exposed, so dress for wind.

Frequently asked questions