📌 Haddington, East Lothian
★★
Hopetoun Monument is one of the easiest landmarks to see from the A1 near Haddington, erected in memory of the 4th Earl of Hopetoun in 1824. Reaching the base of the tower is straightforward, but once inside it’s a very different story. 29 vertical metres and 132 steps are not to be taken lightly and a torch is essential: nearly pitch black, crumbling in places and covered with bird droppings and nesting material. A handrail? You’ve got to be kidding. It’s somewhat surprising it’s still open at all. Visit while you can – for such a small hill, the views over East Lothian to Berwick Law, Bass Rock and Fife’s Lomond Hills are excellent, thanks to the otherwise pancake-flat surroundings.
🌍 Location
📌 Off the B1343 2 mi north of Haddington
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 501764
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.978232,-2.801612
🚌 Bus stops nearby on A6137 at West Garleton turnoff
🚗 Car park at 🧭 NT 499764 / 🛰️ 55.977657,-2.804407
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 10-min walk (each way) steeply uphill to the monument on a clear path (⬤ Moderate). There are two possible routes, making a short circuit possible.
