by Roberrific

Created on: February 22, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Scotland's Board of Tourism website proclaims the stone to be the nation's greatest symbol and as such, has been a very potent icon for more than a thousand years.' True - it's been used by Dalriadic, Scottish, English and British monarchs as an important part of the enthronement ceremony since 847AD. But nobody really knows for sure where it came from? and more importantly... is it a fake?

This famous Coronation Stone was used to inaugurate Scottish Kings as far back as Kenneth the Hardy. Kenneth I (c. 810-858 AD) was the first king to unite the Scotti and the Picts, two very warlike tribes. Since then, Scottish Kings both famous and infamous (ie Macbeth) have sat upon it to receive the crown.

Thus it is a highly visible (and hard to misplace) symbol of Scottish power. But when the King of England, Edward I (the Hammer of the Scots) took the Stone to Westminster Abbey in 1296, they inserted it into the base of the new English coronation throne, St. Edward's Chair. Thus, subjugated to "English arses," the Stone of Destiny became symbolic of England's destiny to rule over Scotland.

But where did it come from? Some claim it's the pillow stone used by the Biblical Jacob. Anther more believable legend says the rock is the sacred Coronation Stone of the early Dalriada Scots. They brought it with them from Ireland when they invaded Caledonia. Another legend holds the stone was actually the travelling altar used by St Columba in his missionary activities throughout the Highlands

Since 847 AD Scottish monarchs have sat upon the stone during their coronation ceremony. At this time the stone was situated at Scone, a few miles north of Perth. Now the stone finally rests securely in Edinburgh Castle in the heart of modern Scotland.
But is this well preserved relic the real Stone of Destiny? After so many centuries, it's impossible to know.

According to one legend, the Stone never left Ireland at all. One tale suggests that the original Stone of Destiny was white marble, carved with decorative figures - in no way resembling the plain slab of yellow sandstone with a single Latin cross carved on it that sat beneath the throne in Westminster Abbey for these past seven centuries.

It's entirely within the realm of possibility that some canny Scots fobbed off a fake on Edward I, seven hundred years ago, hiding the original coronation stone where it would never be found. One story particularly satisfying to Scottish nationalists claims that Edward actually took the rough rock used to

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