Salmond denies being in possession of Stone of Destiny fragment
Former first minister Alex Salmond has denied he is in possession of a fragment of the Stone of Destiny, saying it may be in an “Aladdin’s Cave” cupboard used to store gifts to the Scottish Government.
Cabinet papers from 2009 published earlier this week revealed that Mr Salmond was given the fragment during his time as first minister.
The papers stated the fragment was gifted by Professor Sir Neil Maccormick, a Scottish legal philosopher and politician whose father helped finance the Stone’s theft from Westminster Abbey in 1950.
The treasure, also known as the Stone of Scone, was used for centuries in the inauguration of Scotland’ s kings. It is on display at Edinburgh Castle alongside the Honours of Scotland, but will be relocated to Perth this year as the centrepiece of the city’s new £26.5 million museum.
Mr Salmond told the Daily Telegraph newspaper he did not have the item and did not know what happened to it. He claimed the fragment could be stored in a cupboard at either the first minister’s official residence, Bute House, or at the Scottish Government’s St Andrew’s House headquarters, referring to the potential location as an “Aladdin’s Cave”.
The response comes after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “This fragment and any other pieces that were lost at the time it was taken should be in the care of the Stone’s new home, Perth Museum.”
Mr Salmond, who now leads the Alba party, has also denied the fragment was among items auctioned off to charity after he ended his tenure as first minister in 2014.
Minutes from the Cabinet records, dated September 16, 2008, stated: “The First Minister said that he had met with Professor Sir Neil Maccormick who had presented him with a fragment of the Stone of Destiny as a personal gift. The Permanent Secretary agreed that the fragment need not be surrendered to Historic Scotland.”
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, a former Scottish secretary involved in the Stone’s return to Scotland, described the missing fragment as “stolen property” and said it should be returned “immediately” to Historic Environment Scotland.