Edinburgh - Scotland - page 101

THE STONE OF DESTINY
On St Andrew's Day 1996 a block of sandstone - 26.5 inches by 16.5 inches by 11 inches in size, with rusted iron
hoops at either end - was installed with much pomp and ceremony in Edinburgh Castle. For the previous 700
years it had lain in London, beneath the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey. Almost all English, and later
British, monarchs from Edward II in 1307 to Elizabeth II in 1953 have parked their backsides firmly over this
stone during their coronation ceremony.
The legendary Stone of Destiny - said to have originated in the Holy Land, and on which Scottish kings placed
their feet during their coronation (not their bums; the English got that bit wrong) - was stolen from Scone Abbey
near Perth by King Edward I of England in 1296. It was taken to London and there it remained for seven centuries
- except for a brief removal to Gloucester during WWII air raids, and a three-month sojourn in Scotland after it
was stolen by Scottish Nationalist students at Christmas in 1950 - as an enduring symbol of Scotland's subjuga-
tion by England.
The Stone of Destiny returned to the political limelight in 1996, when the then Scottish Secretary and Conser-
vative Party MP Michael Forsyth arranged for the return of the sandstone block to Scotland. A blatant attempt to
boost the flagging popularity of the Conservative Party in Scotland prior to a general election, Forsyth's publicity
stunt failed miserably. The Scots said thanks very much for the stone and then, in May 1997, voted every Conser-
vative MP in Scotland into oblivion.
Many people, however, believe Edward I was fobbed off with a shoddy imitation in 1296 and that the true
Stone of Destiny remains safely hidden somewhere in Scotland. This is not impossible - some descriptions of the
original stone state that it was made of black marble and decorated with elaborate carvings. Interested parties
should read Scotland's Stone of Destiny by Nick Aitchinson, which details the history and cultural significance of
Scotland's most famous lump of rock.
Sights
Edinburgh's main attractions are concentrated in the city centre - on and around the Old
Town's Royal Mile between the castle and Holyrood, and in the New Town. A major ex-
ception is the Royal Yacht Britannia, which is in the redeveloped docklands district of
Leith, 2 miles northeast of the centre.
If you tire of sightseeing, good areas for aimless wandering include the posh suburbs of
Stockbridge and Morningside, the pretty riverside village of Cramond and the winding
footpaths of Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat.