Travel Essays · Chapter
VIII: The Calton Hill explained
Stevenson describes the Calton Hill in Edinburgh, its monuments, and the panoramic views it offers of the city, the Firth of Forth, and the surrounding countryside.
What happens
Stevenson describes the Calton Hill in Edinburgh, its monuments, and the panoramic views it offers of the city, the Firth of Forth, and the surrounding countryside. He reflects on fame and forgetfulness, contrasting the memorials to Dugald Stewart and Burns with the neglected grave of Robert Fergusson. The chapter also paints vivid pictures of the city by day and night, the interplay of light and shadow, and the historical and literary associations of the landscape.
Themes in this chapter
National Identity and Patriotism
The Calton Hill's monuments and the unfinished National Monument reflect Scottish national pride and its complexities.
Mortality and the Passage of Time
Reflections on forgotten poets, shipwrecks, and the transient nature of fame underscore the theme of mortality.
Nature and the Sublime
The panoramic views from the hill, the sea, and the night sky evoke the sublime beauty of the natural landscape.
Characters to notice
- Robert Fergusson
Mentioned as Burns's master in art, buried in Canongate churchyard, and unjustly forgotten.
- Burns
Memorialized on a spur of Calton Hill; acknowledged his debt to Fergusson and erected a tomb over his grave.
- Old Edinburgh
The city itself is personified as a character, with its lights and layout described in detail.
- Mary
Queen Mary is referenced in connection with Holyrood Palace and Bothwell's horse ride down Greenside.
Key passages
“The scene suggests reflections on fame and on man’s injustice to the dead.”
The view prompts thoughts about how fame is distributed and how the dead are often treated unfairly.
Stevenson muses on the unequal memorialization of Dugald Stewart and Burns versus Fergusson.
“Of all places for a view, this Calton Hill is perhaps the best; since you can see the Castle, which you lose from the Castle, and Arthur’s Seat, which you cannot see from Arthur’s Seat.”
Calton Hill offers the finest vantage point because it provides views of both the Castle and Arthur's Seat, which are not visible from those locations themselves.
Stevenson praises the unique perspective from Calton Hill.
“The sight of the sea, even from a city, will bring thoughts of storm and sea disaster.”
Seeing the sea from an urban setting inevitably evokes ideas of storms and maritime tragedies.
The view of the Firth of Forth leads to reflections on shipwrecks and loss.