Ross Fountain and Edinburgh Castle

Located at the heart of Edinburgh city in the beautiful setting of Princes Street Gardens is the Ross Fountain. Sculpted by artist Jean-Baptiste Jules Klagmann, this fountain has been made from cast iron, a shining example of 19th-century sculpture. If you take a closer look at the base of the fountain, there are mermaids, walrus and lion heads and cherubs. At the top are featured four female figures representing science, arts, poetry and industry. In 1862, a local gun maker Mr Daniel Ross saw the fountain in London at the Great Exhibition and described it as "obtaining universal admiration". As a gift to Edinburgh city, in September 1869 Daniel Ross bought the sculpture and had the 122 pieces shipped to Leith where they would later be sent to Princes Street Gardens to be assembled. Sadly before the fountain was completed and officially opened in 1872, David Ross died one year before, missing the opportunity to see the masterpiece displayed in the gardens. The newly-restored (2018) Ross Fountain is now painted in turquoise, brown and gold. The fountain has a new pump and will be switched on permanently.

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