t Red sandstone exterior and castellated roof of Scone Palace

Pronounced “scoon”, this magnificent palace in the heart of Perthshire dates back to the 12th century. The site was once a Pictish gathering place, and since then has been a Christian church, an Augustinian priory and the seat and the crowning place of Scottish Kings. The last coronation in Scotland took place here in 1651, when King Charles II was crowned atop Moot Hill. Today the palace is one of the UK’s finest examples of the late Georgian Gothic style, having been rebuilt in the early 19th century for William Murray, first Earl of Mansfield. It is now a breathtaking treasury of fabulous objets d’art. Portraits of the Murray family gaze down from the walls of the Long Gallery, while beautifully inlaid furnishings, marble busts, ornate sculptures from mythology and elaborately crafted 18th- and 19th-century timepieces are displayed in every room.

Scone’s huge wooded gardens are home to red squirrels, roe deer and the rare Hawfinch, as well as peacocks who patrol the palace grounds. Stroll along the serene Laburnum Walkway, or climb to the top of Moot Hill, where famed Scottish kings, such as Macbeth and Robert The Bruce, were crowned.

Experience Central and Northeast Scotland

t A piping ceremony at the unveiling of Scone Palace’s restored 16th-century historic archway.