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Image of the telescope-shaped Nelson monument on top of a hill

Nelson Monument


The Nelson Monument was built to commemorate Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, a British naval hero. Nelson was fatally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. To celebrate the victory and remember the man, a group of Edinburgh people raised funds for a monument on Calton Hill.


Take a closer look at the Nelson Monument and you can see that it is modelled on a telescope, an essential piece of kit for an Admiral. The monument was finished in 1816, with a time ball being added in 1853. At one o’clock each day, the time ball is traditionally dropped so that ships in and around the Port of Leith can adjust their clocks for navigation.


The Nelson Monument is a symbol of Naval endeavour, public generosity and the importance of the Port of Leith to military and economic history.


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