Old Cannon Found in Junction Place

In August this year two bollards embedded in concrete outside the Victoria Baths were found to be cannon. They are believed to date from the late 18th or early 19th centuries and to have some connection with the old Leith Fort.

Leith Fort was built in the late 18th century to guard against attacks from the sea. In 1779 John Paul Jones, the American pirate (or naval hero if you are American), appeared off Leith and it was realised that Leith had no defences against such attacks. The Fort was garrisoned by the Royal Artillery who would of course have had cannon.

The cannon are going to be cleaned and restored. We don’t know what will eventually happen to them but it would be nice if they could be on display in a Museum of Leith.