Queen to decide home for Stone of Destiny after consultation.

CONSULTATION: Perth bids to house ancient seat of kings in £23m museum

Nearly 2,000 people responded to the Scottish Government’s Stone of Destiny consultation.

The six-week exercise, which closed at the weekend, was launched to consider Perth and Kinross Council’s bid to bring the famous artefact to the Fair City.

The local authority wants the ancient coronation seat as a centrepiece for its new £23 million City Hall museum, but Historic Environment Scotland launched a counter-bid to keep the Stone at Edinburgh Castle.

The ultimate decision will be made by the Queen.

A Scottish Government spokesman confirmed that more than 1,900 responses were received since the consultation went live in August but it is not yet known which proposal was more popular.

“The responses to the public engagement will now be analysed for consideration by the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia,” he said.

“The commissioners will make their recommendation to Her Majesty The Queen in due course.”

Perth’s campaign, supported by The Courier, was backed by cross-party politicians.

Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Murdo Fraser said: “It would be a huge boost to the area, with a massive economic spin-off and I feel it is appropriate that it should return to Perthshire, where it was formerly used for the coronation of the kings of Scotland at Scone.”

Perthshire North SNP MSP John Swinney said: “I am hopeful that Perth’s bid will ultimately prove successful and that we will soon be able to celebrate a significant cultural coup for the region.”

The Perth campaign was also backed by local celebrities including actor Ewan Mcgregor and round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont.

Perth and Kinross Council argued that bringing the Stone to Perth would make it more accessible and free to view.

It is also expected to bring an extra quarter of a million visitors into the city, generating more than £2m for the local economy.

In its submission, Historic Environment Scotland said it wanted to create a new “Makers of Majesty” chamber for the Stone at Edinburgh Castle.

Perth and Kinross Council wants to house the Stone of Destiny in a revamped City Hall museum.