Balfour Monument
Obelisk In East Lothian, Borders
An obelisk erected to James Maitland Balfour, MP and Major Commandant of the East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry.
As obelisks go, this one is a belta with a magnificent view. Sitting up in East Lothian with a commanding view of Traprain Law the Balfour Monument was erected in 1858 in homage to James Maitland Balfour.
Balfour served as a Member of Parliament for the nearby Haddington and was also the father of Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, who was the Prime Minister in the early 20th century.
James was also Major Commandant of the East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry and it was the cavalry that erected this monument for him. The inscription reads:
Erected to the memory of James Maitland Balfour Esq. of Whittingeham, Major Commandant of the East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry by the officers and non-commissioned officers of that Corps in testimony of their great respect and esteem of him as a Commanding Officer, of their affectionate regard for him as an amiable and able country gentleman and of their deep and lasting regret for his premature removal from among them..
James died in 1856 from tuberculosis in Madeira.
Fabulous views over the surround area with Traprain Law in the foreground and Berwick Law much further back.
Get 3 points if you have visited this place. Already visited by 20 VIPs.
Login to the VIP area to add places to your bucket list, mark them as visited and more importantly see where you rank on the league table.
How To Find Balfour Monument
Where Is Balfour Monument?
Show Place On Google MapsLat / Long
55.947782, -2.681238
What three words
Where To Park For Balfour Monument?
There is a grassy verge right next to the monument with enough space for a few cars.
Contributed by Simon Hawkins
Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue pele tower up a remote hill, a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.
More Places from Simon
More Places In East Lothian
Find more fabulous places in East Lothian, Borders and if you know of a place we haven't listed, then let us know.
Rood Well
Well East Lothian BordersA 16th century wellhead with conical roof, and 14th century finial borrowed from the Old Parish Church.
Whitekirk Hill Trig Point
Trig Point East Lothian BordersThe Whitekirk Hill trig point sits on a hill (74m) near North Berwick.
Pencraig Standing Stone
Standing Stone East Lothian BordersA 3m tall standing stone in a field in East Lothian dated back to the Bronze Age.
More Obelisks
So this obelisk wasn't enough and you want more? Don't worry we have you covered.
Murray's Monument
Obelisk Newton Stewart ScotlandMonument built in 1835 in memory of a local shepherd's boy, Alexander Murray.
Lanton Hill Memorial
Obelisk Wooler NorthumberlandA memorial obelisk on Lanton Hill erected by Alexander Davison in memory of his brother, John Davison.
Windy Hill Memorial
Obelisk Newton Stewart ScotlandAn obelisk and monument dedicated the all of the Wigtown Martyrs.
Never Miss A Fabulous Place
If you are afraid of missing out on all the fabulous places we post, or just want to be the first to know, then sign up to the Fabulous North.
Each week we will email you all the brand new places that we visit.
Sign Up To Alerts
Find Us On Facebook
We post all our new places daily on our Facebook Groups page, so join the group today and be notified when we add a new place.
Join Our Facebook GroupBalfour Monument was listed in Obelisk // Borders // East Lothian