BOOM! Is the Centuries-Old Edinburgh Gun Salute Under Threat?

The Edinburgh One O’Clock gun salute at Edinburgh Castle is a tradition that dates back to 1861. But could it be under threat due to health and safety concerns?

Nowadays, Royal gun salutes are fired on special days like Coronations, funerals and birthdays, from various locations across the UK.

These include Edinburgh Castle, Cardiff Castle, Hillsborough Castle, the Tower of London and His Majesty’s Naval Base in Gibraltar.

In London’s Hyde Park and Green Park, an extra 20 rounds are fired because they are both Royal parks, making it a 41-gun salute.

The Defence secretary is believed to be stepping in to protect the centuries-old tradition of gun salutes at Edinburgh Castle. The last firing of the historic One o’clock Gun was due on Easter Saturday, following health and safety fears over the noise, and Grant Shapps is now understood to be intervening to save the tradition from being “silenced”.