Perspective view of Mons Meg cannon, Edinburgh Castle.
SC 460264
Description Perspective view of Mons Meg cannon, Edinburgh Castle.
Catalogue Number SC 460264
Category On-line Digital Images
Copy of EDD 8/54 P
Scope and Content Mons Meg, Edinburgh Castle Mons Meg is a bombard or siege gun. It was built in France in 1449, for Philip, Duke of Burgundy, who gave it and another bombard to his nephew James II in 1457. James was later killed by a similar gun which exploded during the siege of Roxburgh in 1460. The construction of Mons Meg was an amazing feat for the time. It is built out of wrought-iron bars welded over a wooden cylinder. The breech chamber was made separately and fitted to the barrel. In 1681 Mons Meg burst, but it was later repaired. Mons Meg could fire a 500 pound stone almost two miles, but it was heavy and unwieldy to move around. It is recorded that it took 100 men, five carpenters and many oxen to move it, and the wheels had to be greased with butter from Orkney! Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/460264
File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap
Attribution: © RCAHMS
You may: copy, display, store and make derivative works [eg documents] solely for licensed personal use at home or solely for licensed educational institution use by staff and students on a secure intranet.
Under these conditions: Display Attribution, No Commercial Use or Sale, No Public Distribution [eg by hand, email, web]
