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An aerial view shows a tall stone monument standing on a hilltop, farmland and woodland stretching into the hazy distance.
Scottish Borders

Waterloo Monument

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Standing at 150 feet tall, the Waterloo Monument in Ancrum is one of a number of memorials to the Battle of Waterloo across Europe.

It replaced an earlier tower built by the architect William Burn. A staircase inside can be climbed, but only with a key.

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Ben Lerwill

From our guide to The Borders

A lofty Doric column quarried from local stone, the 150ft Waterloo Monument has stood on the skyline for some 200 years, having been commissioned by a local nobleman to commemorate the Duke of Wellington’s victory over Napoleon. It took two attempts to build – the first collapsed in 1815 ‘with a tremendous crash’ – but the views from its base today are staggering.

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Close by
  1. The River Teviot seen from Monteviot Gardens, framed by red and orange azaleas and green trees in early summer.Monteviot GardensGardens round Monteviot House near Jedburgh, the home of the Kerr family and the Marquis of Lothian for almost four centuries.1 mile as the crow flies
  2. The deep green shopfront of Heron & Willow on the Canongate in Jedburgh, its two windows filled with books under painted willow leaves.Heron & WillowA family-run bookshop on the Canongate in Jedburgh since 2023, with Scottish history, a children's nook and new vinyl and record players.4 miles as the crow flies
  3. The main lawn at Mertoun Gardens in early summer, with tall conifers behind and azaleas in flower along the border.Mertoun GardensTwenty-six acres of gardens round Mertoun House by the Tweed near St Boswells, cared for by a charitable trust since 1984.4 miles as the crow flies
  4. The Capon Tree in winter, a broad bare oak on wooden props in a green field, with its fingerpost sign in front under a blue sky.The Capon TreeAn ancient sessile oak, one of the last of the old Jed Forest, beside the A68 about a mile south of Jedburgh.5 miles as the crow flies
  5. Stone tower overlooking patchwork farmland and a winding river valleyFatlips CastleA small 16th-century peel tower of the Turnbulls on top of Minto Crags above Teviotdale, restored from ruin between 2011 and 2013.5 miles 9 min by road
  6. Mary Queen of Scots Visitor CentreMary Queen of Scots Visitor CentreMary Queen of Scots lived in troubled times and her story is a sad one.5 miles 11 min by road
Directions
A panelled room in Mary Queen of Scots' House, Jedburgh, with a fireplace, a painting above it and portraits on the walls.AttractionsMary Queen of Scots' House5.4 miles
Cessford Castle, a massive roofless tower of red and grey stone, standing in green grass with farmland beyond under a blue sky.AttractionsCessford Castle5.4 miles
Wooden tables outside Simply Scottish eaterie and coffee house, serving beers, wines and spiritsRestaurantsSimply Scottish5.7 miles
Ruined stone abbey with arched windows rising above surrounding treetopsAttractionsJedburgh Abbey5.7 miles
Turreted stone castle with a flag flying above the central towerAttractionsJedburgh Castle Jail & Museum5.9 miles
The broken curtain wall of Roxburgh Castle, with an arched opening, along the top of its grassy mound under a deep blue winter sky, a bare tree rising behind it.AttractionsRoxburgh Castle5.9 miles
Empty bar stools face shelves of spirits behind a panelled counterRestaurantsBuccleuch Arms6.0 miles
Café interior with wooden tables, chalkboard menu and a "Deli & Home" signShoppingThe Mainstreet Trading Company6.3 miles
The pale stone front of Ednam House in Kelso, with its pediment and white doorway, across a lawned turning circle on a spring evening.RestaurantsEdnam House6.5 miles

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The Daily for 25 October, from Scotland with love. bare tree stumps standing in an autumn loch, forested hills reflected in the still water

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near Waterloo Monument, and when each is next free.

The House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.The House in the Hill
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Jedburgh
  • 7 miles from Waterloo Monument
Free 29–31 OctA grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 19 miles from Waterloo Monument
Free 13–15 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in the Scottish BordersAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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