The Half Moon Battery, Edinburgh Castle

Category

Library Item

Item no

1385

Title

The Half Moon Battery, Edinburgh Castle

Description

Approaching some steps as they use a path leading away from Edinburgh Castle are a man and child and a little further back are a woman and child. The Half-Moon Battery is the most visible of the fortification's battlements.

Artist / maker

Baynes, Thomas Mann

Date

1822

Size

25 x 20 cm.

Type

Lithograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the city's most famous landmark. It stands on top of the remaining core of an extinct volcano. Excavations suggest the site was inhabited by Bronze Age man as early as 900 BC, and was fortified by Iron Age man roughly 2000 years ago. The oldest part of the present day Castle is St Margaret's Chapel, built in the early 12th century. The Castle holds the Honours of Scotland and more recently has welcomed back the Stone of Scone otherwise known as the Stone of Destiny.

The Half Moon Battery was built in 1574 by the Regent Morton on the remains of David's Tower which was demolished by the siege of Edinburgh Castle in 1571-73. Built as an artillery platform, the semicircular shape gave the guns a wider range of fire than previous structures.

Find out more about visiting Edinburgh Castle at Historic Environment Scotland.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Roads

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