Famous Highland monument is out of kilter
It's not as extreme as the tilt found at the famous Tower of Pisa but it’s been revealed that the Glenfinnan Monument has a slight lean too.
The monument erected as a memorial to the Jacobite Rising has a slight lean of around 27 centimetres due to the sandy soil at the foot of Loch Shiel where it stands.
The structure is completely stable though and there is little chance of the lean increasing. At 18 metres high, however, the idiosyncrasy is hardly noticeable.
The foot of the famous Pisa tower is 3.9 metres out of alignment with the top.
Built in 1815, the James Gillespie Graham-designed monument at Glenfinnan is a popular stop on the Road to the Isles and for folk finding out more about Scotland’s dramatic Jacobite history.
Property manager Rudy Vandecappelle said: "Visitors all love to hear the story of our leaning tower, although it’s not quite on a par with Pisa."
The little-known fact is one of many about trust properties which have just been published on the National Trust for Scotland’s website, as part of a project to revamp the information provided about its properties.
For more examples visit www.nts.org.uk.
