My FIRST FORAY on DAY 8: July 9th, 2003

FIRST! A bit o’ background info, MORPHED from stuff I found on Scone Palace’s Official Website
and another Scone Palace Website:

Scone Palace is located at the geographical and historical heart of Scotland and is a place that breathes history like nowhere else in Scotland. Fifteen hundred years ago, it was the capital of Pictavia (the Pictish kingdom) and the centre of the ancient Celtic church.

Kenneth MacAlpin, after uniting the Picts and Celts, was crowned King of the Scots upon the Stone of Scone – also known as the Stone of Destiny – on the Moot Hill in 838 AD.

The same site was used for the crowning of all the Scottish Kings since then including Macbeth and Robert the Bruce. In the intervening centuries, it has been the seat of parliaments and been immortalised in Shakespeare's Macbeth. (In reality, Macbeth was defeated in battle near Scone Palace.)

The Abbey of Scone and the Bishops' Palace were ransacked and burned by a mob during the Reformation in 1559. The Gowries built a new palace in 1580, but after the Gowrie conspiracy Sir David Murray was created Lord Scone and given the Lands and Palace of Scone as a reward for helping to save the life of King James VI.

Today, in the 21st century, Scone Palace is the family home of the Earls of Mansfield (descendants of David Murray), and a major attraction to visitors from all over the world.

There had to be at least a hundred or more of them! It was amazing!

(Put your MOUSE on the pic!)

OK! I never saw a WHITE Peahen or Peacock. (As seen in this stolen WEB Pic) But, apparently, they have them there!

I snagged this pic o’ Scone Palace’s ENTRANCE from some website.

After touring the Palace Interior, I scurried on to other PERTH sites. So, I never actually visited “the Moot Hill” and its tiny Presbyterian Chapel … nor did I see the replica of the Stone of Scone that sits in front of the Chapel. NEXT TIME I visit, I’ll do that!!!

The SAGA of the Stone of Scone … a.k.a. The Stone of Destiny:

The Stone is 26 inches long, 16 inches wide and 11 inches high (660 x 400 x 280mm) and it weighs 336 lbs (2.5kgs). The Stone, it is claimed, was the pillow on which Jacob had his biblical dream about angels and the stairway to heaven. It is believed to have been brought to Ireland by Phoenician traders escaping religious persecution. Later taken by the Irish Dalriada to Scotland to install Monarchs of this territory at Iona, Dunadd and later Dunstaffrage. Kenneth McAlpine finally brought the Stone to Scone. Its importance as a symbol of Scottish Monarchs was not overlooked by the English who stole the Stone in 1296 and took it to Westminster. Many believe that the Stone was replaced by a copy during this period to fool the invaders. In 1292, John Balliol was the last King enthroned upon
the Stone of Destiny while it resided at Scone.

Once stolen by the English, (in 1296) the Stone of Scone was slung under the Coronation Throne in Westminster Abbey and incorporated into the English and later British Crowning Ceremony of Kings.

Although the1328 Treaty of Northampton guaranteed its return, it was not until 1950 that the Stone was returned to Scottish soil. A group of four Glasgow University students (led by Ian Hamilton QC) crept into Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day in 1950, removed the stone from Westminster Abbey, and returned to Scotland. The Stone remained “at large” for about 4 months, prompting the largest man/stone hunt by the Police in the United Kingdom’s History. Not only did the authorities fear the rising passions of the Scottish nation, but the King was gravely ill and Princess Elizabeth (the Queen of England at this writing!) faced the prospect of being the only Monarch in 800 years of Scottish/English history NOT to be crowned atop the Stone. It was finally recovered after a secret arrangement, and the Stone was left at Arbroath Abbey.

There still remains a great debate as to the exact whereabouts of the TRUE Stone. Is it in Iona, Arbroath, or Westminster? Did the nationalists during the 1950's construct three replicas as has been suggested? They did have the ability – as one of the conspirators was a master mason. Additionally, the Stone was found to have been broken when removed in the 1950's due to a grenade attack by suffragettes. The conspirators had said they repaired the Stone with a copper pipe in which they enclosed a copy of the Declaration of Arbroath.

On St Andrews Day (30 November) in 1996 – 700 years after it was first stolen by the English – the Stone of Destiny was finally returned to Scotland.

It now sits in Edinburgh Castle, alongside the Crown Jewels of Scotland – Or does it?

GO TO INTERIOR PIX of Scone Palace! This page offers MY IMPRESSIONS of the fantabulous things found in Scone Palace, and INFO about SAID FANTABULOUS THINGS!

(You’ll find links to the NEXT DAY EIGHT PIX Options at its end!)

OR go right to The Next DAY EIGHT Pix Options
(in order of trip occurrence):
The Black Watch’s Museum Balhousie Castle
CARLISLE “in England” GORGEOUS Croftlands Guest House
Hadrian’s Wall Birdoswald Roman Fort

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OR contributions to the photo gallery!
please Email WebMistress Chas!
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