The Biggest Gun of All

The Biggest Gun of All. . , The Biggest Gun of All , The largest gun ever fired in anger on British soil was kept in an arsenal on the other side of Foog's Gate. , Mons Meg, with her 20 inch (50cm) wide barrel, was built to smash castle walls. The French Duke of Burgundy paid the gunsmith Jehan Cambier to make the gun in 1449. The barrel was formed from iron rods bound together with 37 white-hot iron hoops that were hammered into position. , The Wedding Present , In 1457, Mons Meg arrived in Scotland as a gift to James II. Shortly afterwards, the gun-loving king was killed by an exploding cannon during the siege of Roxburgh Castle. , By Land and Sea , In 1489, James IV sent Mons Meg to destroy rebel strongholds at Dumbarton, Crookston and Duchal. Eight years later, she bombarded Norham Castle in England. , Her present gun carriage, built in 1934, is based on one probably used for James V's naval expedition to the Western Isles in 1540. Mons Meg's last roar of anger came during the Lang Siege of Edinburgh Castle in 1571–3. , One Gun Salute Increasingly obsolete, Mons Meg was used to fire royal salutes. After the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots in 1558, the gunstone she fired was retrieved from about two miles away. , Her final salute was heard in 1680 during a visit by the future King James VIl. The gunpowder charge was so strong that her barrel burst , you can still see the damage. , Return of the Prodigal Gun After the Jacobite Risings, Mons Meg and other artillery were taken from Edinburgh Castle in 1757 and stored at the Tower of London. She was much missed. In 1829, after two public campaigns, King George IV ordered her return home. , ( photo captions ) , - Left: An artist's impression of Mons Meg about to leave the castle for the 'Great Raid'on Norham Castle in 1497. , - Above right: James IV. , - Left: An artist's impression of Mons Meg firing a salute for Mary Qeen of Scots. , - Below: Soldiers from the 78th Highlanders admire Mons Meg in 1860.