Capital set to flag up Trafalgar Day with Calton Hill show

Published on Tuesday 21 October 2008 09:50

ONE hundred brightly coloured flags were set to be raised on Calton Hill today, to celebrate Trafalgar Day.

The flags were the signal used by Admiral Nelson in 1805, at the start of the Battle of Trafalgar, when he raised 100 flags from the masts of the Victory to show "England expects every man to do his duty".

It was recorded that the sight of the flags was greeted with "three great cheers" on board every ship in the fleet.

More than 100 years on, Edinburgh Council will be recreating the signal from the top of the Craigleith stone tower on Calton Hill, which was erected to commemorate the death of Nelson after the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The tower was completed in 1816, with a "time ball" at the top, which is raised each day and drops in conjunction with the One o'Clock Gun.

The ball has been out of order since it was damaged by heavy gales in March last year, and the council recently announced it had received a 50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to repair it.

City culture leader Deidre Brock climbed the 178 steps to the top of the landmark, to inspect the monument before the restoration work began.

The ceremony to mark Trafalgar Day was to be held this morning.