Scotland’s Village of Old Scone

In Old Scone you would have found the royal residence and monastery but since the early nineteenth century the royal residence has since moved. The 12th century monastery was located where the present Scone Palace stands today. The Scone Palace was also, interestingly enough, where the Highland Chiefs would come and pledge allegiance to their land. Old Scone was also known as the historic capital of the Scottish kingdom of Alba as most of the Kings crowned there were Gaelic. The town of New Scone is simply called Scone by the locals, containing a small population of about 4000 people.

The new village of Scone dates back to 1885 when the Scone Old Church was built, the first building in the historical town. Notably, the Old Church was first built in Old Scone and was removed stone by stone to its new site. The Stone of Scone or as it was also known the Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone was a rectangular block of yellow sandstone with a carved Celtic cross on it. The Stone of Scone was famously used historically as a throne and was associated with the crowning of Scottish kings during their coronation rites.

The Coronation Stone was kept at the abbey of Scone, but now it is just ruins. In 1296 the Stone was taken by Edward the First to England, as spoils of war, where it was kept in Westminster Abbey and used to coronate monarchs of England. At Westminster Abbey the Coronation Stone was placed under the St. Edward’s Chair, an old wooden chair, and kept there till it was needed.