The one o'clock time ball
Lowered by hand the instant the castle gun fires, a maritime ritual dating from 1853 and revived after the 2009 restoration.
W. Bulach — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kim Traynor — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Saffron Blaze — CC BY 3.0 · Stephjeb — CC BY-SA 4.0
At one o'clock every afternoon except Sunday, a large metal ball drops from the top of this tower at the exact instant the One O'Clock Gun fires from Edinburgh Castle across the valley. The gun was for the ears, the ball for the eyes: since 1853 it has let ships in Leith harbour set their chronometers, back when a minute's error in the clock could put a ship miles off its reckoning. It is still worked by hand, restored to service in 2009, and if your timing is right you will watch a daily ritual that began more than a century and a half ago. The tower itself is 32 metres of stone, raised between 1807 and 1815 to honour Admiral Nelson, who won and died at Trafalgar. Architect Robert Burn shaped it as an upturned telescope on a castellated five-sided base, a conceit you grasp the moment you see it from Princes Street. The climb is 143 narrow, spiralling stone steps with no lift and no real landings, and the viewing gallery at the top is open to whatever wind is blowing. The reward is one of the widest panoramas in central Edinburgh: the castle and Old Town to the west, Arthur's Seat to the south, Leith and the Firth of Forth to the north, and on a clear day the Forth bridges and the Fife coast. Honesty is due here: Calton Hill itself is free, and the view from beside the unfinished National Monument is very close to the view from the tower. The ticket buys you extra height that unrolls the whole skyline, plus a small exhibition in the base about the astronomer Charles Piazzi Smyth, who devised both the gun and the ball. If your legs allow, the climb is worth half an hour. With small children, know that under-fives are not allowed up at all, the stair is useless for pushchairs, and anyone uneasy with tight or high spaces will find the gallery a test of nerve. From Waverley station it is about ten minutes on foot: east along Waterloo Place, then the steps up the hill, or a longer paved roadway from Regent Road. Tickets are card-only at the door and advance booking is not currently offered, even in summer. In July and August expect a short wait because the gallery holds only a handful of people at a time; the doors shut at 3.30pm year-round, which in winter is early indeed, and strong winds close the tower without notice, so check the official site on the morning of your visit.
Lowered by hand the instant the castle gun fires, a maritime ritual dating from 1853 and revived after the 2009 restoration.
One of the widest views in central Edinburgh: castle, Arthur's Seat, Leith and the Firth of Forth in one turn.
A small room in the base on the astronomer who devised the gun, the ball and mountain-top astronomy.
32 Calton Hill, Edinburgh EH7 5AA
National Monument of ScotlandTwelve enormous columns stand on a stone platform at the top of Calton Hill, and1 minute walk4.8
Museum of EdinburghEdinburgh's most photographed dog left behind a collar and a feeding bowl, and b5 minutes walk4.5
Royal MileOne street connects a castle to a palace and drops about 70 metres in the roughl6 minutes walk4.8
Museum of ChildhoodThe man who founded the world's first museum of childhood liked to say he was no6 minutes walk4.4
Palace of HolyroodhouseIn a small room in the old tower of this palace, Mary, Queen of Scots saw her se8 minutes walk4.7If you have time for one, pick Nelson: far fewer steps (143 against 287), a cheaper ticket (7.50 against 9 GBP), and a far wider view from the top of the hill. The Scott Monument is the finer piece of architecture with a tighter, more punishing stair, and suits those who want a close-up of the street rather than a panorama. The 14 GBP joint ticket only makes sense if you are set on both.
For a large family or one with small children, honestly no. The hill beside the National Monument gives you most of the view with no stairs and no ticket, and under-fives cannot go up anyway. Pay if the day is clear and you want the full skyline, or if you are on the hill before one o'clock and want to watch the ball drop up close.