ADMIRAL LORD HORATIO NELSON, HERO OF THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR
DON'T FORGET TO PUT YOUR TIMEPIECES BACK BY ONE HOUR THE NIGHT BEFORE
As the wife of a naval officer, I attended many wardroom dinners but was never supposed to have attended a Trafalgar Day dinner: it is reserved for officers only.
However I did attend one sort of accidentally when the organiser erroneously invited the wives to the wardroom, where I enjoyed such delicacies as a dessert called ‘ships of the line’. Of course I already knew proper etiquette like passing the port to the left and not leaving the table until the monarch had been toasted….no matter how desperate I was to ‘ease springs’….
Anyway, to justify my award of a Community Celebration Event, I have decide to hold this event on a Sunday close to Trafalgar Day, which is celebrated on the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, 21st October 1805.
We meet near the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill, Edinburgh.
The Nelson Monument on Calton Hill is a tower built to honour Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.
Although he never set foot in Edinburgh, he is honoured in this way due to his heroic actions at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805. He died saving Great Britain from the allied French and Spanish invaders under the command of Vice Admiral Villeneuve, during the Napoleonic wars when Napoleon Bonaparte along with his Spanish allies tried to increase his empire. It was 27 British ships against 33 French and Spanish, but the British sailors were better trained. Nelson used the rather unorthodox tactic of lining up his fleet in 2 lines and sailing them directly through the assembled enemy ships, splitting them into 3 parts. The British lost no ships, while the French and Spanish lost 18.
Nelson himself was known to be a leader who led from the front, despite having only one eye and one arm. His flagship HMS Victory went in first; Nelson was shot by a French musket and died during the battle in the arms of Captain Hardy.
Despite his heroism, it has to be said he had his bad points: especially his support of the slaveowners in the colonies; and his scandalous abandonment of his wife to take up with Lady Hamilton.
The monument is supposed to resemble an upturned telescope.
Every day at 1pm, a time ball is dropped from the top of the monument to help sailors in the Forth Estuary to set their chronometers to the correct time.
Of course not everyone can see the ball dropping: so there is a plan B: its the one o’clock gun, which is fired from the Half Moon Battery at the castle. If you can’t ‘see’ when it’s one o’clock, at least you can hear it.
Other monuments to Lord Nelson
1805: Taynuilt, near Oban. The first monument to Nelson, reflecting the number of Scottish captains and sailors in his fleet.
1806: Glasgow Green
1807: Portsmouth
1807-08: Dublin (this one was destroyed by IRA bombs in 1966)
1807-15: Calton Hill
1809: Montreal, Canada
1812: Forres
1813: Bridgetown, Barbados
1819: The Britannia Monument, Great Yarmouth
1843: Trafalgar Square, London
Attractions on Calton Hill
The Nelson Monument
Visiting Platform and Museum. Adult £7.50, Concessions £6.50, Family £23.00
open from 10 am till 3:30 pm.
The National Monument
Construction began in 1822, to build a Scottish Parthenon, but it was never finished due to lack of funds. Visitors enjoy climbing up to the 12 pillars.
The City Observatory at the Playfair Building
Construction began in 1776 to build Edinburgh’s first observatory. It is no longer used as an observatory, the dome and surrounding buildings are home to a contemporary art centre.
The Dugald Stewart Monument
This is a memorial to the Professor of Moral Philosophy, he died in 1828. It is a circular temple of 9 corinthian columns.
The Calton Cafe
The cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, welcomes dogs on the outdoor terrace, and ‘walk-ins’ are possible, although booking is recommended.
How to get here:
On foot: its a bit of a climb, be warned, although it’s on good paths and steps.
from the East side of the hill: start at Royal Terrace. Buses stop in London Road.
From the south side of the hill: take the steps up from Waterloo Place/Regent Road
By car: there is parking on the top of the hill but only for blue badge holders and authorised users. Enter from Regent Road.
Cyclists: are advised to approach from the Royal Terrace entrance in order to avoid having to carry your bike up the stairs.
IMPORTANT
TO LOG YOUR ATTENDANCE: Find Peedieduchess or Sir Peedieduke at the listed coordinates (or near the cannon if the benches are full of muggles). Take a QUIZ sheet: you have to answer the questions and return them before you can sign the log. Don't worry: its perfectly easy and supposed to be fun! (and the question setter will mark your work leniently).
THERE'S A PRIZE FOR THE FIRST PERSON TO RETURN ALL CORRECT ANSWERS
Community Celebration Events - 2025
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 25 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.