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Closeup upward angle of a large Greek/Roman style monument with pillars

Playfair Monument


The Playfair Monument was designed by W.H. Playfair in memory of his uncle, John Playfair. Professor John Playfair (1748-1819) was Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and President of the Edinburgh Astronomical Institution.


The Monument was completed in 1826 in the Greek style. W.H. Playfair designed many of Edinburgh’s key public buildings in this style, including the Royal Scottish Academy and National Gallery. He helped to cement Edinburgh’s reputation as ‘The Athens of the North’.


Playfair’s monument to his uncle was situated near to the observatory on Calton Hill to draw attention to the Professor’s career in mathematics and astronomy. John Playfair’s work in these areas of academia contributed to Edinburgh’s reputation as a centre of the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that swept Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today the Enlightenment is studied both for its positive effects on Western thought and its upholding of racist and colonial principles.