The move to save Edinburgh's disgrace

Erected in honour of the Scottish soldiers and sailors lost during the Napoleonic Wars, building of "Edinburgh's Disgrace" commenced in 1826 and stopped only three years later, due to lack of funds.

This image, published in the Illustrated London News 1907, shows how there was a push nearly eighty years later to finish the building work .

The text below the image makes interesting reading:

"The architectural reproach to Edinburgh is likely to be taken away, for at last there is a movement to complete the National Monument on the Calton Hill. The twelve Doric columns were the frustrated beginning of the projected national monument founded during the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822. On the foundation-stone is a bombastic inscription telling how the monument is the tribute of a grateful country to her valiant and illustrious sons. This admirable scheme came to nothing for lack of funds. The twelve columns cost £1000 each and after they were erected no more money was forthcoming, but Mr William Mitchell S.S.C of Edinburgh, is issuing an appeal to the Scottish people calling on them to complete the replica of the Parthenon to be used as the Scottish National Gallery. The view from the Calton Hill is one of the most magnificent in the world. The view of the hill with its spurious ruins and certain unfortunate monuments is less charming, but if the Parthenon were completed Edinburgh would receive a paramount and final claim to be called the Modern Athens. Our illustration, reproduced in colour by Messrs A and C Black, forms the frontispiece to the exhaustive pamphlet embodying the appeal".

Take a good look at the image - "Parthenon" aside, there seems to be quite a bit of artistic licence going on. Is that the Ross Fountain next to the Scott Monument?!!?