Glenfinnan Monument
The Glenfinnan Monument is a Category A listed monument in Glenfinnan, Scotland, erected in 1814 and dedicated to the Highlanders who fought in support of the Jacobite rising of 1745.[1]
 The monument in 2008, looking southwest | |
| 56°52′09″N 05°26′13″W | |
| Location | Glenfinnan Scotland |
|---|---|
| Designer | James Gillespie Graham |
| Type | Statue |
| Material | Rubble |
| Height | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Opening date | 1814 |
By 1814, the Jacobite cause was no longer a political threat to the Hanoverian monarchy. Alexander Macdonald of Glenaladale, a minor branch of the Clan Donald, built the tower to commemorate the raising of the standard of the Young Pretender. The tower, which is 59 ft (18 m) in height, was designed by Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham.[2] The statue of an unknown Highlander, referred to at the point of commission as Charles Edward Stewart, by John Greenshields, was added in 1835.[3]
The monument's location at Glenfinnan was made possible because of a new road (now the A830), built by Thomas Telford and opened in 1812, between Fort William and Arisaig.
Since 1938, the monument has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. The Trust has constructed a visitor centre, providing tickets, information, exhibitions, a shop, a café and toilets. The tower is also a monument to Alexander Macdonald, who died before its completion. Jacobite enthusiasts gather at the tower each year on 19 August to remember the rising of 1745.
Gallery
Ground view of the monument
Close-up of the Unknown Highlander statue
References
- Glenfinnan Monument – Historic Environment Scotland
- Boundless magazine article, Sept/Oct 2020, page 25
- "John Greenshields (1792-1835), sculptor, a biography".