To help you practice reading in English, we’ve written another article! Read all about one of Edinburgh’s top places, and then try our quiz below to test yourself.
The National Monument of Scotland is one of the most famous attractions in Scotland’s beautiful capital city – Edinburgh. It’s situated on Calton Hill, which is in the city centre, slightly east of the popular Princes Street (the most important shopping street of Edinburgh). Calton Hill can be seen from all over the city, which means that the National Monument is one of the most recognizable sights to see.
It was designed during 1823-6 and based on the world-famous Parthenon in Athens, Greece. However, after construction started in 1829 the project very soon ran out of funds and so it was left unfinished. While there have been many ideas since then about how to finish the work, it has been left in its original state because of the cost and also primarily a lack of local enthusiasm.
The monument is Scotland’s national memorial to the soldiers and sailors who died fighting in the Napoleonic wars. However, because of it’s strange unfinished appearance and iconic status, it’s much more famous nowadays for being a fantastic place to take incredible photos of the picturesque city, enjoy a walk with friends or chill out on a sunny day. For anyone visiting Edinburgh, the monument should be at the top of their to-do list, along with the other attractions on Calton Hill such as the Nelson Monument, the Dugald Stewart Monument and the Robert Burns Monument.

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Question 1 of 8
1. Question
The monument is on Princes Street
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Correct!
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False! It’s actually a little to the east of Princes Street.
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Question 2 of 8
2. Question
The monument isn’t one of the city’s top attractions
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Correct!
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False! It can be seen from many places in the city and is very recognisable.
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Question 3 of 8
3. Question
The National Monument of Scotland was based on the Pantheon.
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Correct!
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False! It was based on the Parthenon in Greece, not the Pantheon in Rome!
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Question 4 of 8
4. Question
The sculpture wasn’t finished in 1829.
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Correct!
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True! It’s never been completed.
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Question 5 of 8
5. Question
Local people wanted to finish the project
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Correct!
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False! It’s primarily because of the opinion of local people that it was left incomplete.
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Question 6 of 8
6. Question
It was originally intended to be a memorial to Scots who died fighting Napoleon
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Correct!
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True! It’s still a national memorial to all Scottish people killed during the Napoleonic wars.
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Question 7 of 8
7. Question
The monument is a great place to visit on a pleasant day
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Correct!
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True! It’s on top of Calton Hill, a perfect place to relax on sunny days.
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Question 8 of 8
8. Question
Calton Hill is a popular place for photographers
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Correct!
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True! The hill provides amazing views of the beautiful city, perfect for taking photos.