Mons Meg

Mons Meg, the large artillery piece on the book's front cover, is a symbol of Scotland, having arrived here in 1457 although actually made near Mons in Flanders. For most of her life, she has been domiciled at Edinburgh Castle. In 1754, having been classed as an 'unserviceable' cannon, she was taken away to London, but during her exile, it was said that "Scotland would never be Scotland again until Mons Meg came hame." In London, she became a tourist attraction in the Tower, and despite having come back to Scotland in 1828, Mons Meg officially remains part of the Armouries Collection. In 1842 a young Queen Victoria visited Edinburgh Castle and minutely inspected Mons Meg, and the cannon consequently became a must-view tourist attraction.