Scone, Perthshire

Before Edinburgh, Scone was the ancient capital of Scotland. King Kenneth MacAlpin united the Picts and the Scots of Dalriada under his rule in 843. He established his seat of power in Scone, and is credited with bringing Scotland’s famous Stone of Destiny, ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy, here in the 9th century. Among Scotland’s kings and queens to be crowned at Scone’s Moot Hill was Robert the Bruce in 1306; the last ceremony was that of Charles II in 1651. Perthshire fell from royal favour after King James I’s assassination at Blackfriars Monastery in 1437, and Edinburgh subsequently rose to prominence.

Today, Scone is an elegant and welcoming town whose architectural highlight is the 19th-century Scone Palace. Explore the grand State Rooms where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert dined during their visit of 1842, before admiring the replica Honours of Scotland – the Scottish Crown Jewels – in the Lennox Room. scone-palace.co.uk