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Why did a slab of red sandstone persuade a beleaguered Scottish council to spend £27 million on it?
This is the amount needed for a new museum in Perth.
It opens on March 30 and will be full of interesting things. But the main reason it was built was to house the Stone of Scone.
The slab is also known as the Stone of Destiny. It has been used at the coronations of monarchs since 1307 and of Scots for centuries.
Today the stone, which once stood at Edinburgh Castle, is coming home. There are many romantic rumors about its origins – one of which dates back to the book of Genesis.
Rock star: Mark Jones visits Perth in Scotland ahead of the opening of his new £27million museum (pictured)
The highlight of the museum will be the Stone of Destiny (above), used in the coronation of monarchs for centuries.
But more prosaic 3D imaging proved it had indeed been quarried near the ancient village of Scone, about a mile from Perth.
Once in the new museum, which will be installed in the old town hall, the stone will be visible free of charge, but you will need to reserve a slot.
The opening is an opportunity to praise the attractions of Perth and Perthshire. Geographically, it’s like a big heart in the center of Scotland, just a short drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow.
It is generally touted as “the gateway to the Highlands – a rural expanse of low hills, lochs and rivers and (for Scotland) a relatively dry and mild climate”.
Start at Scone Palace itself, where the stone was first used to crown a king, Kenneth MacAlpin, in 843.
The palace is a beautiful building, rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style, but topped by the original abbey chapel located on Moot Hill.
Marks recommends visiting Scone Palace (pictured), where the Stone of Destiny was first used to crown a king, Kenneth MacAlpin, in 843.
It does very well at events such as the Scottish Game Fair in July. You can stay in a huge apartment and have the estate to yourself if the Earl of Mansfield and his family are not in residence.
I stationed myself at Taybank, in the artistic district of Dunkeld, built on land reclaimed from the Tay when Thomas Telford built his bridge there in 1809.
It’s a pub hotel with excellent food from Gemma, its own sauna and a riverside ‘beach’.
Mark is based at Taybank (pictured) in Dunkeld, on the banks of the River Tay.
Mark describes the Taybank as a “pub hotel with great food”. Above, the hotel restaurant
Dogs are also accepted. I walked to Birnam, on the opposite bank, where an ancient sycamore is the last vestige of the great forest that so frightened Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play.
Centuries of prosperity have left the city with beautiful streets, riverside walks, cafes and parks.
It was once the capital, and with its magical Stone of Destiny, Perth will once again feel like the very heart of Scotland.