Mons Meg
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The area
Neighbourhood: Old Town
Few Edinburghers live in the Old Town, but its labyrinth of dank alleys and steep streets suggests this was not always the case. Today, it’s mostly visitors, tartan-flavoured souvenir shops, and pipers that you’ll find on its cobbled streets. This is the place to get a feel for Auld Reekie (Old Smelly), as the town was once nicknamed, and stroll the Royal Mile, the thoroughfare that links the castle with the royal palace – two of Edinburgh’s great set-piece attractions. But there’s lots more exploring to do here down dozens of little alleys, or wynds, while at night the city’s busiest clubs erupt along the Cowgate which is closed to traffic for this purpose.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles61 reviews
Excellent
17
Very good
28
Average
16
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Jeppe S
Copenhagen, Denmark746 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
THe Mons Meg is a mighty cannon in Royal Armouries' collection. It was built in 1449 on the orders of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy and sent by him as a gift to James II, King of Scots, in 1454.
It has the largest caliber of any cannon in the world. Very impressive all together.
It is within the grounds of Edinburgh Castle so you need to buy a ticket to see it.
Written 23 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James P
Cambridge, UK2 452 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
This is situated within the grounds of Edinburgh Castle, so you can only see it if you pay for the castle entry ticket. It is huge - an impressive cannon that was unsurpassed in its day.
Written 8 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JoannaKatee94
Chester, UK4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
Would recommend anyone that gets chance to visit this monster! I’ve never seen one so big! And the views from around her WOW! The balls lay next to here are huge and there is information points available explaining how she came about and when/why she was used!
Written 10 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bsandrs
Portsmouth, UK23 078 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
This magnificent piece is situated at the top of Edinburgh Castle looking out over the battlements towards the Firth of Forth. Given the scale it is hard to imagine that it was ever moved let alone used in anger. However, reading the background it once was moved over 50 miles in 1460 at an average rate of 3 miles per day by oxen under the control of troops commanded by King James the Second of Scotland. Indeed the gun remained operational until 1681, when the barrel finally burst.
Written 4 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

daesquiv
San Jose, Costa Rica651 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
This is one big cannon that, for the standards back then was the most powerful weapon used in the old days. With it's 20 inch diameter barrel you can see the cannon balls next to it and have an idea of the firepower it had.
Written 9 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gaurav C
New Delhi, India3 090 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019
having a barrel diameter of 20 inches this is certainly one of the largest canons in the world..It was rendered unusable when its barrel burst ..It is displayed withing the Edinburgh castle..It definitely stands out from the others
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia45 458 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2018
Mons Meg is quite an impressive cannon. It is located within the confines of Edinburgh Castle, which means you need to get a ticket to enter. The cannon was manufactured in the middle of the 15th century and was used mainly during sieges. This continued for around a hundred years or so, when it was redeployed for ceremonial occasions only. It was used in this way for some time until it was damaged during a ceremony and it could not be used any longer. It was moved to London for a while but was returned to its rightful place where it remains. It is very popular with visitors, as we witnessed ourselves! Worth a look, if only to satisfy one's curiosity.
Written 1 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

therichastill
Stevenage, UK2 719 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Family
Mons Meg has not been fired for centuries but it is far more magnificent than the more cannons located around the castle including the one used for the One O'clock gun.

As well as the gun there are also some of the huge cannonballs used in it. I would not want to be the person responsible for putting that into the gun!
Written 11 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ranjanapathak
Orlando, FL1 446 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Friends
It is a big medieval bombard canon used in earlier days during war time. If you go to visit the Castle, you will find it and can have your photo shoot here. It has been named Mons Meg as the place of its origin is Mons, Hainault, Wallonia.
Written 31 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Noraatc
Sudbury, MA35 558 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2018 • Couples
For those who have keen interest in military history, the mighty Mona Meg canon will be an exciting sight to see. She was an ultimate weapon of mass destruction in her age against rebellious troops attacking Edinburgh and had no competitors.
Written 1 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MONS MEG: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Mons Meg