Old Meg feels the weight of the years

Published on Tuesday 3 November 2009 08:51

THE wheel of perhaps the most famous gun in Scotland is being examined by conservationists, after it was discovered to be "flat".

Siege cannon Mons Meg has stood quietly on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle for years without moving, but the sheer pressure of the six-ton barrel and the two-ton carriage has now distorted the metal band round one of the wheels.

Historic Scotland experts used two mini cranes to lift the barrel in order to carry out a programme of checks on the condition of the great gun.

Hugh Morrison, Historic Scotland collections registrar, said: "This was the supergun of its era and it's one of a kind, so we take very good care of her with regular checks and maintenance.

"As she is so large we are having to set up special lifting gear to hoist her off the carriage.

"One job that has to be done is to knock a metal rim on one of the wheels back into shape as it has bent out of shape from the enormous weight of the gun."

The work is expected to take a week to ten days to complete.

Mons Meg was originally made in 1449 and presented to James II in 1457, at which time she was the latest in military technology and fired "balls" weighing 330lbs.

The gun was last fired in October 1681 in a birthday salute for the Duke of Albany (later James VII) but her barrel burst.