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MONS MEG
Mons Meg is one of two surviving 'bombard gun's presented to King
James II by his uncle by marraige, Phillip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
in 1457.
The name 'Mons' comes from where they were made 'Mons" which is
in present day Belgium.
The 6 ton, muzzle-loading canon is capable of firing gunstones weighing
150kg nearly 2 miles.
It saw action only once against the English at Norham Castle on the river Tweed. However, its great weight made it impractical to drag around in battle so by the 1650's it was retired to Edinburgh castle where it was fired to salute the marraige of Mary Queen of Scots to French Dauphin, Francis.
Mons
Meg was last fired on 14th October 1681 to celebrate the birthday
for the Duke of Albany and York (later King James VII of Scotland
and II of England) The ancient gun's barrel burst and it was left
beside Foog's gate until it was taken to the Tower of London in 1754
and later returned to Edinburgh in 1829 where it sits proud but silent
outside St. Margaret's Chapel.
