Description

ARGYLE BATTERY, MILLS MOUNT BATTERY AND LOW DEFENCES: John Romer, 1730-7, built by William Adam, incorporating earlier fabric and with later alterations and additions. Ashlar-coped random rubble fortifications with 2 corbelled out stone ball-finialled domed circular-plan sentry boxes. Crenellated to W, gun loops to E.

DURY'S BATTERY AND BUTT'S BATTERY: Captain Theodore Dury, 1708-13. Random rubble fortifications with segmental-arched gun embrasures.

FOREWALL BATTERY: 1544, incorporating earlier fabric, heightened 1573. Ashlar-coped fortification with segmental-arched gun embrasures. Ogee-roofed square-plan stone corner turret to N. Well (see Notes) with parapet wall, 1913.

HALF-MOON BATTERY: 1573-88. Massive semicircular random rubble fortification, 4 receeding tiers with string courses. Encloses remains of 2 lower stories of David's Tower (see Notes). Segmental-arched gun loop (part of David's Tower); parapet with segmental-arched gun embrasures, rebuilt 1689-95.

WESTERN DEFENCES: John Romer, 1730-7, built by William Adam, incorporating earlier fabric and with later alterations and additions. Ashlar-coped random rubble angled fortifications swept to corbelled out stone ball-finialled domed circular-plan sentry box. The upper terrace was built in 1858.

Statement of Interest

The A Group comprises Batteries, Foog's Gate, Gatehouse, Governor's House, Great Hall, Lang Stairs, Military Prison, National War Museum, New Barracks, Old Guardhouse, Palace Block, Portcullis Gate, St Margaret's Chapel, Scottish National War Memorial, Telephone Kiosks, United Services Museum and Vaults, all within Edinburgh Castle, and in the Care of Historic Scotland. The Fore Well, on the Forewall Battery, was the original main water supply to the Castle. David's Tower, built in 1368-77, was an L-plan tower house which was the dominant feature of the Castle until its destruction in 1573, during the Lang Siege. The Half-moon Battery was built on the orders of Regent Morton after the Siege. The alterations to the N fortifications (Argyle and Mills Mount Batteries) and the Western Defences were carried out on the orders of General Wade, Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's forces in North Britain; John Romer was Board of Ordnance engineer for North Britain; William Adam was Master Mason to the Board of Ordnance. The batteries form part of the walled defences of the Castle, whose irregular outline, crenellations and pepperpot turrets contribute to the romantic silhouette of the ensemble.

Scheduled Ancient Monument.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)