The stone’s coming home!
It’s a red slab that’s played a key role in Scottish and English history and now...
What is it about a slab of red sandstone that’s persuaded a hardpressed Scottish council to spend £27 million on it?
that’s the sum required for a new museum in Perth. It opens on March 30 and will be full of interesting stuff. But the main reason it’s been built is to house the Stone Of Scone.
the slab is also known as the Stone Of Destiny. It has been used in the coronation of monarchs since 1307 and Scottish ones for centuries before that.
Now the stone has been taken from Edinburgh Castle to its new home in Perth. there are many romantic rumours about its origins — one traces it back to the book of Genesis. But more prosaic 3D imaging proved that it was indeed quarried near the ancient village of Scone, a mile or so from Perth. Once in the new museum, which will be housed in the old city hall, the stone will be free to see, but you will have to book a slot.
Known as the ‘gateway to the highlands’, Perth is at the heart of Scotland and no more than 90 minutes from many of its most famous destinations. historically it was once effectively the capital, due to the frequent residence there of the royal court.
the opening of the museum offers a good excuse to explore the city and wider Perthshire. Start at Scone Palace itself, where the stone was first used to crown a king, Kenneth Macalpin, in 843. the palace is a handsome pile, rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style, but with the original abbey chapel on Moot hill above it. It does very well out of events such as the Scottish Game Fair in July. You can stay in a huge apartment and have the estate to yourself if the Earl of Mansfield and family are not in residence.
I stationed myself at the taybank in arty Dunkeld, built on land reclaimed from the tay when thomas telford put his bridge over it in 1809. It’s a pubby hotel with terrific food by Gemma, its own sauna and riverside ‘beach’. It’s dog-friendly, too. I walked mine to Birnam, on the opposite bank, where an ancient sycamore is the last remnant of the great forest that so spooked Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play.
Centuries of prosperity have left the city with fine streets, riverside walks, cafes and parks.
It was once the capital, and with its magical Stone Of Destiny back, Perth will once again feel like the very heart of Scotland.