Mons Meg passes her MOT, 550 years after her first battle

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), working with conservators from AOC Archaeology and the Royal Armouries, has undertaken a condition check of the extensive conservation works that Mons Meg underwent ten years ago.

Mons Meg is one of the biggest cannons ever built and was gifted to James II in 1457. She retired from service around 100 years later, in 1550, and fired her last shot in 1680 to mark a visit to Edinburgh by James Duke of York. Mons Meg is now part of the Royal Armouries collection and, as part of the UK’s National Collection of Arms and Armour, she spent 75 years on display in England before returning to Edinburgh Castle for visitors to enjoy.

In 2015, Mons Meg underwent extensive conservation works by HES and AOC Archaeology. The paint that had built up on the iron was carefully removed by blasting it with ground-up military buttons, and the soft plastic removed the paint layers but caused no damage to the metal below. Skilled painters at HES then re-painted her to protect her from corrosion and the elements, while making sure she still looked her best.

Ten years later, this unique cannon was gently lifted into the air so conservators could assess whether the conservation work was holding up as expected. The paint that was put in place is expected to last 20 years, and the check conducted this spring confirms that it is holding up well.

Chloe Allan, Regional Collections Manager at HES, said:

“We were pleased to find that Mons Meg is still doing well, and that the system we put in place ten years ago is faring as expected. 

"It’s an honour to look after such an important part of Scotland’s history. We carry out an annual condition check of Mons Meg but lifting the 6-tonne cannon is no easy task, so we’re happy to see that she won’t need another full 360° check of this kind for five years."

About the Royal Armouries Museum

The Royal Armouries is the UK's national museum of arms and armour, and its collection of over 75,000 objects tells the stories of the impact of warfare, weapons and armour on the geopolitical history of the world. It operates across three sites - the White Tower at the Tower of London, the purpose-built museum in Leeds Dock, and Fort Nelson near Portsmouth. The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds holds the UK's oldest museum collection, which has been acquired over more than 700 years and today holds c.4,500 objects on display across five floors of galleries

About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)