Scone Palace has been the home of the Earl of Mansfield and his forebears for over four hundred years.
Sir David Murray, an ancestor of the present Earl, was given the lands of Scone as a reward for his part in saving the life of King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England). In 1604 Sir David Murray was created Lord Scone and in 1621 Viscount Stormont. In the 18th century, William Murray, a younger son of the Fifth Viscount Stormont, became Lord Chief Justice of England. In 1776, he was created Earl of Mansfield, and was later succeeded by his nephew, the Seventh Viscount Stormont.
Between 1803 and 1812, the Palace of Scone was enlarged by the Third Earl of Mansfield. This improvement was based on the old Gowrie Palace of 1580, and previous to that, the site had been home to an Augustinian Priory and Abbey. Both the Abbey of Scone and the ‘Bishop’s Palace’ had been burned to the ground by followers of John Knox in 1559.
Scone occupies an important place in the history of Scotland. It was the original home of the Stone of Scone which, tradition has it, was brought to Scone in 843 AD by King Kenneth MacAlpin, the first monarch to unite the Picts and the Scots. Also known as the Stone of Destiny, Scottish Kings were crowned upon the Stone at the Royal City of Scone until 1296, when Edward I of England carried the Stone off to London. However, Scone was still used by many Scottish Kings as their place of coronation (including Robert the Bruce in 1306) until the crowning of Charles II in 1651. The Stone of Destiny was returned to Edinburgh Castle in 1996, and is now housed in the Perth Museum. The exact origins of the Stone remain a mystery, and it is still a subject of great conjecture.
At Scone, we encourage visitors to tour the Palace at their leisure. There are also QR codes located in each room which will give you lots of interesting facts about the room. There are also Guides in various rooms who will be answer any questions you may have. They will point out the salient features of the collections of ivories, porcelain, French furniture and the unique collection of Vernis Martin and objets d’art. They can also tell you a great deal about the history of Scone and the family who have lived here for so long.
We do hope that you enjoy your visit.