Dugald Stewart Monument

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Dugald Stewart Monument

The Dugald Stewart Monument is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart (1753–1828). It is situated on Calton Hill overlooking Edinburgh city centre and was completed in August 1831.

Dugald Stewart was a professor at the University of Edinburgh, holding the chair of moral philosophy from 1786 until his death. The Royal Society of Edinburgh commissioned the monument and selected its site in 1830.

The monument is modeled on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, Greece and is a circular temple of 9 fluted Corinthian columns around an elevated urn. This example of the architecture of ancient Greece had been brought to wider attention by James "Athenian" Stuart and Nicholas Revett's illustrated survey, The Antiquities of Athens, published in 1762.

The Choragic Monument also provided the model for the nearby Robert Burns Monument, designed by Thomas Hamilton around the same time. The monument forms part of a collection of Greek Revival architecture in the area, including the National Monument and the former Royal High School building. The monument is a category A listed building as of 19 April 1966.

The Dugald Stewart Monument was designed by William Henry Playfair, who was also responsible for the elegant thoroughfare that encircles Calton Hill on three sides, comprising Royal Terrace, Carlton Terrace and Regent Terrace. Playfair also designed the nearby Scottish National Monument.

180° panorama of the Edinburgh skyline at dusk in early October from Calton Hill, Dugald Stewart Monument