Date:

Mons Meg leaves Edinburgh Castle for MOT

The six tonne cannon was transported from Edinburgh Castle for specialist restoration and conservation work.

Mons Meg was lifted by crane in the morning, in a tightly-controlled operation involving specialist personnel. She has now been moved off-site and, over the next few weeks, will be carefully examined by Historic Scotland’s expert conservation team.

- Advertisement -

Richard Welander, Head of Collections for Historic Scotland said: “Mons Meg undergoes regular ‘health checks’ each year and is lifted off its carriage every five years for a closer inspection.

“This time it’s getting a major service, which means it must leave the castle for the first time for 30 years. The last time Mons Meg left was in March 1985, when she went to the Royal Armouries research establishment in Kent for a short technical examination.

We’ll be using state-of-the-art equipment to examine the cannon and carriage inside and out, to assess their condition. Then we’ll commence with treatment and restoration, which is a delicate and specialist task.

We’re hopeful that she’ll be back on display at the castle by late February.

Over the next few weeks, the cannon will be closely assessed by conservators, including a laser scan and 3-D examination. The existing paintwork will be removed using a high pressure water system in combination with bead blasting. The iron surface revealed will then be examined, cleaned and dried carefully, before being re-painted using a protective paint system by Historic Scotland painters.

The oak carriage that Mons Meg sits on will also undergo some conservation and repair works by Historic Scotland joiners. The carriage was built in 1934 and cost the Lord Provost of Edinburgh £178 at the time.

- Advertisement -

The Historic Scotland team will also use the time off site to uncover the truth behind some of Mons Meg’s mysteries.

Richard Welander explained: “Obviously in the past we didn’t have the technology which we have today, so there are now a number of techniques that can be applied which could potentially reveal different aspects of Mons Meg’s story.

“This gives us the opportunity to gather and verify more evidence on Mons Meg’s past, which is an exciting prospect.”

Despite many people believing that Mons Meg is fired each day at one o’clock, it is, in fact, a modern military cannon so visitors to the castle will still be able to see and hear the world-famous One o’clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle.

About Mons Meg:

• One of the world’s most famous guns, Mons Meg was given to King James II by Duke Philip of Burgundy in 1457.

• At the time she was considered cutting edge military technology, capable of firing a 150kg gunstone for up to 3.2km (two miles) to devastating effect.

• James II had Mons Meg hauled nearly 50 miles to besiege Roxburgh Castle in 1460. He was killed during the battle, when another of his cannon exploded.

• His grandson James IV used Mons Meg to besiege Dumbarton Castle, then held by the rebellious Earl of Lennox, and to attack Norham Castle in northern England. She ended her fighting days in King James V’s navy and was taken out of military service in about 1550.

• She was however still used to fire salutes. In 1558, she fired a stone ball to Wardie Muir, where the Royal Botanic Garden now stands, to celebrate the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots. Her barrel burst in 1681.

• She was last fired in 1681 as a birthday salute for the Duke of Albany when her barrel burst. After this she was dumped in the Middle Ward at Edinburgh Castle and remained there until 1754 when she was taken to the Tower of London as part of the Disarming Act, after the Jacobite Uprising.

• She was returned to Edinburgh Castle in 1829 after a series of campaigns by Sir Walter Scott and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. She was brought by boat to Leith, then escorted by three troops of cavalry and a foot regiment, back to the castle.

Historic Scotland

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Gravestone depicting 13th century knight unearthed in central Gdańsk

Archaeologists from ArcheoScan have unearthed a rare gravestone depicting a medieval knight during excavations in the centre of Gdańsk, Poland.

Angler unexpectedly fishes out a mysterious medieval sword

An angler fishing in the Vistula River in Warsaw has made an unexpected discovery, a medieval sword dating back hundreds of years.

Archaeologists uncover elite Hellenistic residence in North Macedonia

Excavations by the Museum of Kumanovo near the village of Mlado Nagoričane in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane have uncovered a Hellenistic-era residence dating to the 4th century BC.

Cache of Roman footwear unearthed at Magna Roman Fort

Magna, also known as Carvoran, is a Roman fort situated at the edge of the Whin Sill in Northumberland, England.

Ancient mortuary cave found hidden within desert mountains

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered a pre-Hispanic mortuary cave within the Ocampo Natural Protected Area (ANP) in Coahuila, Mexico.

Preserved shipwreck contains 2,000-year-old ceramic treasures

A recently discovered shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan, Turkey, has yielded a collection of ceramic treasures dating to the Late Hellenistic–Early Roman period.

Ancient boomerang found in Polish cave stuns scientists

A study of a Palaeolithic boomerang found in Poland's Obłazowa Cave has been dated to 42,000 years ago, making the discovery the oldest example in Europe and potentially the world.

Women ruled over oldest known city

A groundbreaking study published in the journal Science has revealed that women played the dominant role at Çatalhöyük.