The Defence Secretary has intervened to stop "health and safety killjoys" from silencing Edinburgh Castle's historic One O'clock Gun.
The last firing of the artillery piece was scheduled for 1pm on Easter Saturday, following concerns about the noise from the 155mm field gun.
A safety notice was issued after initial noise trials were conducted by the Army Environmental Noise Team – in keeping with health and safety guidance.
Historic Environment Scotland, who manage crowds at the Castle, had concerns about handling the number of people who would be there to watch the firing, particularly from Easter onwards.
In December, the cordon distance for the public watching the gun was increased, and ear defenders were also made available.
But recent health and safety tests suggested those distances needed to be increased further.
An MoD source said: “The one o’clock gun has been fired for more than 160 years without complaint and health and safety killjoys are trying to bring it to an end.
“This level of risk avoidance is ludicrous. Yes, keep people at a safe distance and make sure young children are ok, but this is truly health and safety gone mad."
The MoD source said the Defence Secretary and others at the Ministry of Defence thought it might be an April Fool’s joke when they first heard about it.
“Anyone who’s been to the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Edinburgh and heard the fireworks will know that’s louder."
The source said Grant Shapps will not let the historic gun be silenced.
“He’s determined to make a sensible assessment of the risk and the gun will keep firing. It’s a great tradition loved by the people of Edinburgh, the military and tourists.”
As part of the mitigation measures, new quieter ammunition is to be introduced in late June.
Another suggestion that was not taken forward was to change the firing to 9am, when the Castle is not open to the public.
The One O'clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle is a time-honoured tradition that dates back to 1861.
It is a daily event, where a cannon is fired from the castle's ramparts at precisely 1:00 PM, except on Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day.
The firing of the gun serves as a time signal for the people of Edinburgh and has become an essential part of the city's cultural heritage.
The origin of the One O'clock Gun can be traced back to the need for accurate timekeeping in the 19th century.
At that time, ships in the port of Leith relied on visual and audible signals to set their chronometers accurately, a vital component for navigation and determining their longitude while at sea.
In 1861, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Charles Piazzi Smyth, proposed the idea of firing a time gun from Edinburgh Castle.
The original gun was a 64-pounder. Since 2001, a 105mm field gun has been fired instead by members of the military from the Mills Mount Battery.
