Great Michael, also known as La Grande Nef d'Ecosse, was a monumental carrack built for the Royal Scottish Navy under King James IV. Launched on 12 October 1511 and completed in February 1512, she was the largest ship afloat at the time, measuring approximately 240 feet (73 meters) in length and 35 feet (11 meters) in beam. Her construction required the extensive use of timber from Scotland, France, and the Baltic Sea, with accounts indicating she was built with 10-foot-thick oak walls. Due to her enormous size, she was constructed at the new dock in Newhaven, as existing Scottish facilities could not accommodate her. Displacing about 1,000 tons, Great Michael was equipped with four masts and carried an impressive armament of 24 guns purchased from Flanders, along with a basilisk forward and two aft guns, later increased to 36 main guns. Her crew comprised approximately 300 sailors, 120 gunners, and up to 1,000 soldiers, reflecting her role as a formidable warship. Her dimensions and construction underscored her significance as a symbol of Scotland’s naval ambitions, representing one of the earliest examples of a great ship that foreshadowed the later ship of the line. Great Michael played a prominent role during James IV’s reign, including hosting the king and Margaret Tudor for a banquet and participating in the Scottish-French alliance against England. During the War of the League of Cambrai, she was part of the fleet assembled for an invasion of England, although the campaign did not proceed as planned. Following the death of James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, the ship’s future was uncertain. In 1514, she was sold to France for 40,000 livres and renamed La Grande Nef d'Ecosse. Docked at Honfleur and later at Brest, she eventually fell into disrepair, with some accounts suggesting she may have participated in the Battle of the Solent in 1545 under French command. Great Michael remains a symbol of early 16th-century naval ambition and Scottish maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.