Mons Meg Bombard

Timeline

1. 1449Mons · MonsJehan Cambier forged this bar-bound iron gun in Mons, Hainaut, for Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy; its bore and shot weight far exceeded ordinary field guns, designed specifically to batter castle walls, demonstrating the Burgundian workshops' capability in super-heavy firearms.
2. 1449–1457Scotland · ScotlandPhilip the Good gave the bombard to James II as a military gift accompanying Burgundy-Scotland dynastic diplomacy; the year the gun reached Scotland is given in sources as 1457, after which it entered the Scottish royal artillery train.
3. c. 1455–1489Scottish castle battlefields · ScotlandThe bombard was dragged to the front of Scottish castle sieges to batter walls with stone balls, illustrating the tactical character of 15th-century super-heavy bombards: hard to move but devastatingly powerful; James II himself was keen on artillery and died in a gun explosion at another siege.
4. 1500Edinburgh Castle · EdinburghMons Meg became the signature firearm of Edinburgh Castle; after the barrel split during a salute in 1681 it was withdrawn from active service; after restoration and exhibition it is publicly displayed as material evidence of 15th-century Burgundy-Scotland military exchange.