Northern Ireland’s iconic memorial to a much-loved landlord 

Scrabo Tower is one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic landmarks and stands majestically 125 feet high on a hill 540 feet above sea level. This was originally the site of a great megalithic cairn and later became part of an estate belonging to the Dominican Order. The word ‘scrabo’ actually means ‘cow pasture’ in Irish which would suggest this fertile area has always been farmed. The tower was built as a memorial to Charles Stewart 3rd Marquess of Londonderry for his efforts to alleviate suffering during the Great Famine. His tenants lead a communal effort to erect a memorial to him as acts of kindness by a landlord were not the norm during these hard times. Stewart was one of the Duke of Wellington’s generals during the Napoleonic Wars and was known as “Warring Charlie”. He inherited his title after his brother, the 2nd Marquis, committed suicide. It was originally called the ‘Londonderry Monument’ and was built to designs attributed to the famous architect Sir Charles Lanyon after a controversial competition for the tender.