Edinburgh Castle gun told to fire quieter amid health and safety row

The Defence Secretary has now intervened to keep the gun firing.

Edinburgh Castle gun has been told to fire quieter following a row over health and safety.

The “One O'Clock Gun” ritual, started in 1861, and has seen it fire every day at 1pm, except on Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day.

However, amid concerns the noise could damage people’s hearing, attempts were made to end the 155mm field gun firing, with its last shot taking place on Easter Sunday.

Health and Safety concerns almost ended the traditional firing of the Edinburgh Castle gun.

A safety notice was reportedly issued after noise trials were conducted by the Army Environmental Noise Team – in keeping with health and safety guidance.

The Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has now stepped in, and ordered them to continue the ritual originally devised to allow ships to set their maritime clocks.

A Ministry of Defence source dismissed those trying to stop the spectacle as “health and safety killjoys”.

They said: “This level of risk avoidance is ludicrous.

“The one o’clock gun has been fired for more than 160 years without complaint and health and safety killjoys are trying to bring it to an end.

“Yes, keep people at a safe distance and make sure young children are OK but this is truly health and safety gone mad.

“The Defence Secretary and a lot of people at the MoD thought it might be an April Fool's joke. He's determined to make a sensible assessment of the risk and the gun will keep firing.”

The source added Mr Shapps will not let the historic gun be silenced.

They said: “He’s determined to make a sensible assessment of the risk and the gun will keep firing. It’s a great tradition loved by the people of Edinburgh, the military and tourists.”

In December, the cordon distance for the public watching the gun was increased, and ear defenders were also made available.

The origin of the One O'clock Gun can be traced back to the need for accurate timekeeping in the 19th century, where ships in the port of Leith relied on visual and audible signals to set their chronometers accurately, so they could determine their longitude while at sea.

It is not clear who proposed the gun stop firing. HSE has been approached for comment.