What is the Stone of Scone?

With King Charles’ coronation you will have heard them talk about the Stone of Scone, but do we know what it is, and why it is so important?

What is it?

It is simply an oblong block of red sandstone.

This block of stone has been used for many years for the coronation of the Kings and Queens of Scotland.

Initially it was held at Scone Abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland, it was bought there by Kenneth MacAlpin at around  840 AD!  Since that it has been used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland and then for those of the United Kingdom.

It is not that big, it is only 66 cm by 42 cm by 26.7 cm, and only weighs approximately 152 kg.

Tradition and history

There are also doubts as to whether the stone is the right one, as some claim that the monks at Scone Palace hid the real stone in the River Tay, or buried it on Dunsinane Hill, and that the English troops were tricked into taking a substitute. This is because the historic descriptions of the stone don’t match that of the stone we have.

Origin and legends

There are various theories and legends that exist as to where it came from prior to it arriving in Scone.

Such as:

• Fergus, son of Erc, the first King of the Scots (r. c.  498 – 501) in Scotland, who bought the stone from Ireland to Argyll, where he was crowned on it, this was recorded in a 15th-century chronicle.
• It was the Lia Fáil (Irish for “stone of destiny”) used at Tara for inaugurating the High Kings of Ireland.
• Another says it came from Biblical times and was the Stone of Jacob, taken by Jacob from Bethel while on the way to Haran (Genesis 28:10–22).
• The stone of Jacob was then taken to ancient Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah.

Many don’t agree with this:

• Geologists have proven that the stone taken by Edward I of England to Westminster is a “lower Old Red Sandstone”, which was quarried in the vicinity of Scone.
• Doubts over the authenticity of the stone at Westminster have existed for a long time: a blog post by retired Scottish academic and writer of historical fiction, Marie MacPherson, shows that they date back at least two hundred years.

Westminster Abbey

It appears that in 1296 King Edward I of England brought the stone to Westminster Abbey, and had it put into a special wooden chair, called the King Edward’s Chair.  This is because he claimed to be the “Lord Paramount” of Scotland.

Recent events in the life of the Stone.

• On 11 June 1914 the suffragettes set off an explosion near the Coronation Chair and Stone, causing some damage to the chair.

• On Christmas Day 1950, four Scottish students removed the stone from Westminster Abbey for return to Scotland.  Unfortunately, as they did it the stone broke into two pieces, so, they buried it in a field in Kent, then a few days later dug it up and took it to Scotland.

• The two pieces were then put back together in Scotland.

• They then left the stone on the altar of Arbroath Abbey on 11 April 1951, in the safekeeping of the Church of Scotland who returned it to Westminster four months later.

Return to Scotland

There was a public outcry in Scotland for the Stone to be returned, with the result that on 3rd July 1996, Prime Minister John Major announced it would be returned to Scotland. It was then placed in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle alongside the crown jewels of Scotland.

It didn’t stay there, as in December 2020, after a public outcry, the Stone was moved to Perth City Hall, to be bought back to Westminster for each coronation.

Isn’t History fun?

10 questions to discuss:

1. 1. 1. The blog mentions some doubt about whether the Stone of Scone is the original. What evidence supports this, and what are the implications if it’s not?
      2. How significant are the various legends and theories about the Stone’s origin, beyond their historical interest? Do they influence how people perceive the Stone’s importance?
      3. Why did Edward I of England take the Stone of Scone, and what message did this send about his claimed authority over Scotland?
      4. How do the actions of the suffragettes and the stone-stealing students reflect different perspectives on Scottish identity and the Stone’s significance?
      5. What factors contributed to the public outcry for the Stone’s return to Scotland, and how does this relate to contemporary issues of devolution and national identity?
      6. Why did the Stone of Scone move from Edinburgh Castle to Perth City Hall, and what are the different viewpoints on this decision?
      7. How does the current arrangement of the Stone being used for coronations in Westminster but kept in Scotland reflect modern political realities and historical sensitivities?
      8. Beyond its role in coronations, what symbolic meaning does the Stone of Scone hold for different groups of people, such as Scottish nationalists or monarchists?
      9. Can the Stone of Scone be seen as a unifying or divisive symbol in Scottish history and culture? Why or why not?
      10. What lessons can we learn from the history and significance of the Stone of Scone about the complex relationship between national identity, political power, and historical symbols?

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©Tony Dalton