King's Wark | |
---|---|
Leith, Scotland | |
Coordinates | 55°58′34″N 3°10′10″W / 55.9761°N 3.1695°W |
Site history | |
Built | in royal occupation since 1434 |
In use | disused as arsenal since 1647 |
Battles/wars | destroyed May 1544 |
Garrison information | |
Past commanders | John Chisholm (1564-1606) |
The King's Wark in Leith was a building on the Shore of Leith, at the mouth of the Water of Leith into the Firth of Forth. The King's Wark was the Scottish royal arsenal where cannon used on royal ships were kept and maintained, and where supplies shipped to Leith for the royal household were stored. To the north east of the King's Wark the Shore was extended into the sea by a pier known as the "Bulwark".[1] To the west was the Broad Wynd, and on the south, there was a walled yard. An inn on the site was documented in 1623.[2] The site on the Shore includes a public house and restaurant called "The King's Wark" on the corner of the Shore and Bernard Street.[3]