Statues on the Scott Monument

East Princes Street Gardens

Statues on the Scott Monument

Thank you to George Shepherd, Ratho Station, Edinburgh, for sending me the photograph above and three other photos of statues on the Scott Monument, all taken in 1998.

George wrote:

"A few years ago I was working on the Scott Monument and took a few photographs including some of the various statuary on the monument.

I know nothing at all about the statues, except that they would not usually be seen due to their situation. It would only be possible to see them from the ground and then through a large telephoto lens or binoculars/telescope. I was fortunate to be there when the monument was clad in scaffolding."

George Shepherd:  July 9, 2006

Question

Can you help to identify any of these statues?  If so,  please e-mail me and I will pass on your message to George.    Thank you.  -  Peter Stubbs:  July 17, 2006.

Answers

Thank you to:

-  Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland and

-  George T Smith, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Both contacted me within a few hours of this image being added to the web site, to tell me that the Scran web site lists all 64 statues of characters from Sir Walter Scott's  novels that are featured on the Scott Monument, complete with an image of each and details of where they are positioned.

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As a result, George Shepherd believes that the statue may be:

"Hal O' the Wynd"

George T Smith believes that it may be

"Gurth"

George Shepherd replies:

"Statue No 1 has to be "Hal o' the Wynd". If you look at the right shoulder you will see the handle of his broadsword. He is also wearing a chainmail coat as described in the 'Scran' web site."

-  Peter Stubbs:  July 17 + 18, 2006.