Scone, pronounced Scune, Palace is currently the residence of the Earl of Mansfield.

But there’s a lot of history here. In the 9th century, Kenneth MacAlpin established himself as the first true King of Scots. According to legend, he is said to have invited the Pictish King Drostan with all his nobles to banquet with him at Scone.
While they were seated, and perhaps taking advantage of their gluttony of both drink and food, the Scots drew out the bolts supporting the boards, whereupon the Picts fell into the hollows below their benches. While caught in some strange contraption up to their knees, they were all slaughtered.

The last coronation in Scotland took place at Scone in 1651 when King Charles II was crowned King of Scots upon the Moot Hill. The Earls following the 3rd Earl all suffered imprisonment, mainly in consequence of their support of the Jacobite cause.

The 4th Viscount Stormont was briefly imprisoned for his part in a fatal duel. The 5th Viscount opposed the Treaty of Union and entertained the Old Chevalier at Scone Palace during the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion, for which he was imprisoned.

The 6th Viscount suffered the same fate when his sisters received the young Chevalier, Bonnie Prince Charlie, at Scone during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion.
From the time of Kenneth MacAlpin, who created the Kingdom of Scone in the 9th century, all the Kings of Scots were crowned on the Moot Hill, seated upon the Stone of Scone. Even after the Stone's removal by King Edward I in 1296, the Moot Hill continued to be the crowning place of the Kings of Scots.

Probably the greatest historic event to take place at Scone was the coronation of Robert the Bruce, who declared himself King of Scots upon the Moot Hill on March 25,1306. The last coronation held at Scone was that of King Charles II as King of Scots on January 1, 1651, some nine years before he was restored to the English throne.

Standing on the Moot Hill is a small Presbyterian chapel. Like the Palace, it was restored in gothic style in 1804. The Stone of Destiny is an ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy, used for centuries in the inauguration of its kings. Seen as a sacred object, its earliest origins are now unknown.

In 1296, King Edward I of England seized the stone from the Scots, and had it built into a new throne at Westminster. From then on, it was used in the coronation ceremonies of the monarchs of England and then Great Britain.

On Christmas Day 1950, four Scottish students removed the stone from Westminster Abbey in London. Three months later it turned up 500 miles away – at the high altar of Arbroath Abbey.

In 1996, the stone was officially returned to Scotland. The stone will only leave Scotland again for a coronation in Westminster Abbey.

The Stone is displayed alongside the Crown Jewels in the Royal Palace in Edinburgh. A replica of the Stone of Scone sits upon the Moot Hill, marking the site of the original.

After touring the palace (no photos allowed) we had a scone (at Scone Palace, no less) with jam and a coffee. Well, all of us did but Vic. He used his coffee to drown wasps. They just flocked to him and dive bombed into his cup. We enjoyed the peacocks (well, all of us but Valerie who was attacked by one on her last visit here) that were walking around freely and then decided to walk around the grounds where we saw an ancient tomb, the beautiful kitchen gardens filled with herbs, vegetables and gorgeous flowers (the dahlias were the size of dinner plates), and manoeuvred through a living maze. Valerie and Kevin got to the water feature in the middle of the maze p first so they got the big prize - our admiration.

After leaving Scone we went to Anstruther for a drink in a local pub and a nice dinner.