Hopetoun Monument

The Hopetoun Monument stands on Byres Hill in the Garleton Hills near Camptoun in East Lothian. It is a tall stone tower built in memory of John Hope, the 4th Earl of Hopetoun, who died in 1823. The foundation stone was laid in May 1824, and the inscription on the monument calls him ‘the Great and Good John, Fourth Earl of Hopetoun’. Locals sometimes call it the Garleton Monument or the ‘Galla Monument’ after a nearby farm. A smaller copy of the monument was later built on Mount Hill in Fife. The monument rises 29 metres and has a narrow spiral staircase of 132 steps leading to a viewing platform at the top. From there, visitors can see the Firth of Forth, the hills of Fife, Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills to the west, and the Lammermuir Hills to the south. On clear days the Cairngorms are visible far to the north. The tower is listed as a category B building, recognising its architectural importance. A path starts from a small car park at the base and climbs steeply through wooded slopes and gorse before reaching the open hilltop. The route offers changing views of the countryside and the coastline. The monument remains a quiet place to stand above the landscape and look out over East Lothian and beyond.