City still waiting on stone decision

The Stone of Destiny’s future is still uncertain as the Fair City eagerly awaits a decision by the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia.

Perth and Kinross Council is keen to make the historic artefact the centrepiece of its Perth City Hall redevelopment project.

Last year, the council and Culture Perth and Kinross launched a bid to move the stone from Edinburgh Castle back to Perthshire.

But five months from the end of a public consultation on September 19, a verdict has yet to be reached.

A decision had been expected this month, but the council was still none the wiser about the situation as the PA went to press yesterday.

A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “Discussions arising from our proposal to bring the Stone of Destiny to Perth are continuing, both with the Scottish Government and with the current custodians of the Stone, Historic Environment Scotland.

“We anticipate a final decision on the issue from the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia in due course.”

During the public consultation, the Perthshire Advertiser gave our backing to the bid to bring the stone home to Perthshire and launched the‘It is our Destiny’campaign, which won the support of both Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor and cycling adventurer Mark Beaumont.

A spokesperson for John Swinney’s office told us this week:“Our expectation is that it’ll be soon, but we can’t narrow it down any further than that unfortunately.”