Mons Meg, Edinburgh Castle

Category

Library Item

Item no

2069

Title

Mons Meg, Edinburgh Castle

Description

A woman in a long tartan coat and headscarf stands beside Mons Meg, the large cannon within the grounds of Edinburgh Castle. The cannon sits on a wooden cart with wheels and beside a pile of cannon balls.

Artist / maker

Bain, L. P.

Date

1952

Size

11.5 x 15.4 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Mons Meg is a large siege gun presented to James II by Philip, Duke of Burgundy in 1457. It is one of a pair constructed in Mons in present day Belgium. The gun's sheer size limited its mobility and therefore its military utility. Mons Meg continued to be used for ceremonial purposes until 1681 when it burst whilst being fired to celebrate the Duke of Albany's birthday. It was repaired but has not been fired since.

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.

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