Park
St Andrew Square Edinburgh
Fluted sandstone column crowned by a statue, raised by naval subscription for a disgraced statesman.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to St Andrew Square in Edinburgh unpacks the 1806 impeachment trial of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville, once the most powerful man in Scotland, over navy funds his paymaster Alexander Trotter had quietly banked for interest. It follows Dundas through Britain's last impeachment trial in the House of Lords, and the sailors, petty officers and marines who later funded a monument in his name out of their own wages. Engineer Robert Stevenson, of Bell Rock Lighthouse fame, insisted on a sturdier design than first planned.
This audio guide was created using AI.