Nelson's Monument, Edinburgh

Nelson's Monument is a commemorative tower to Admiral Horatio Nelson, situated on top of Calton Hill, Edinburgh. It was built in 1816 to commemorate Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... Calton Hill is a hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the east of the city centre. ... Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ... Events March 25 - Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck dies and is succeeded by the later Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, his son and founder of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish and Galician: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ... Battle of Trafalgar Conflict Napoleonic Wars Date 21 October 1805 Place Cape Trafalgar Result Decisive British victory The Battle of Trafalgar, fought on 21 October 1805, was the most significant naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars and the pivotal naval battle of the 19th century. ... Events January 11 - Michigan Territory is created. ...

The monument is designed to look like an upturned telescope. On top of the tower is a mast. This replaced an existing mast on the site, which acted as a time-keeper to the ships in Edinburgh's port, Leith. Before the invention of accurate timepieces, it was important for mariners to know the exact time. Although a gun was fired at 1 O'clock every afternoon from Edinburgh Castle, it takes time for the sound to travel the 2 miles to Leith. Therefore a timeball is dropped from atop the mast on Nelson's monument to act as a visual aid to the mariners who could see the Monument from Leith. A monument is a structure built for commemorative or symbolic reasons rather than for any overtly functional use. ... 50 cm refracting telescope at Nice Observatory. ... This article is about Leith, Scotland; see also other places called Leith . ... Edinburgh Castle and NorLoch, around 1780 by Alexander Nasmyth Edinburgh Castle, an ancient stronghold on the Castle Rock in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, has been in use by assorted military forces since prehistoric times and only transferred from the Ministry of Defence recently. ...

The timeball can still be seen today, raising from 5 minutes before 1pm, dropping sharply as the 1 o'clock gun is fired.