It is a legendary landmark that attracts visitors from around the world.
But the Glenfinnan Monument is unrecognisable at the moment as it is shrouded in scaffolding and tarpaulins while vital restoration work is carried out.
The monument – commemorating the raising of the Jacobite Standard by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 – is currently closed due to a £170,000 project, which includes a new system to monitor movement of the Lochaber tourist attraction.
But visitors can still see what the 60ft structure, belonging to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), looks like thanks to a display of photographs of the 200-year-old tower in the nearby visitor centre.
The project is expected to be completed in early July.
Property manager Teeny Nielsen (COR) said: “The Glenfinnan Monument is one of Scotland’s most photographed locations and, after 200 years in this exposed location, it’s in need of some TLC to make sure it still stands tall for generations to come.”
She added that most visitors were being very understanding.
She said: “As it’s a conservation project, the majority of people are quite sympathetic.
“If we weren’t doing it, the monument would end up as a heap of rubble.”
Mrs Nielsen said the display of photos of the monument at the head of Loch Shiel at different times of the year and in different types of weather gave people a good idea what it looked like without the scaffolding.
She added that the Jacobite exhibition in the visitor centre is also free this year due to the work.
Funding for the project has come from Historic Environment Scotland, the NTS’s Canadian Foundation and generous donations from individuals following the conservation charity’s call for support.
Surveys have shown that the monument currently leans by just over 10ins to the west.
NTS surveyor Glyn Young said the trust was installing a new system using laser and fixed ground survey points, to help monitor movement of the monument more accurately.
Meanwhile, Masonry and Lime, of Elgin, is making repairs to masonry on the monument and boundary wall, replacing lime pointing as needed, renewing the roof, installing a more accessible hatch at the top of the monument and a new handrail to help visitors climb the 62 steps.
The commemorative plaques will also be cleaned, repaired and re-lettered, and the landscaping repaired.
