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Scone Palace

Scone Palace is an early 19th century mansion incorporating a 16th century Bishop’s Palace.

The area around Scone Palace has a long and important history, as it was a major Pictish centre for hundreds of years, and from the 9th century was where Scottish kings were crowned and resided (until the later Middle Ages).

Being so important, there would almost certainly have been a castle or fortified building on the site. The first sheriff of Scone is Malothen (also known as Máel Suthain or Maol Suthain) and is mentioned in a charter dating to the first half of the 1130s. Throughout the reigns of the 12th century kings of Scotland Scone was the main royal residence, and so there would have been a secure and defensible palace.

Scone was also an important religious site, and a priory was founded here in 1120 by Alexander I, later becoming an abbey in 1163. The Prior and later Abbot of Scone would have lived in a grand building, and in common with other similar sites across Scotland, this would likely have been a castle fortified house known as the Bishop’s Palace.

Little is known about what exact form the Bishop’s Palace took, but it is known to have been surrounded by a wall together with the Abbey. In 1559 the Palace was destroyed, along with the Abbey, by a mob from Dundee – an early casualty of the Reformation.

In 1580 Scone was granted to William Ruthven, 4th Lord Ruthven (and later the 1st Earl of Gowrie), and around 1581 work began on rebuilding the Bishop’s Palace as a grand mansion. Ruthven may have been responsible for building the magnificent Long Gallery in the east side of the Palace. At 45m long it is reputed to be the longest room in Scotland, and the present floor is said to be original 16th century parquetry.

However Lord Ruthven was executed for treason in 1584, and he was succeeded firstly by his first son James Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie, and in turn by his second son, John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie.

In 1600 the 3rd Earl was killed during what became known as the Gowrie Conspiracy, the name of Ruthven was proscribed, and their lands were forfeited. Scone was given to Sir David Murray of Gospetrie, son of Sir Andrew Murray of Balvaird, by James VI as a reward for saving him from the Earl of Gowrie’s attack. Murray accompanied James VI to England in 1603, and was created Lord Scone in 1605.

Around this time Murray built a house on a U-plan, arranged around three sides of a courtyard. It may be that it incorporated Lord Ruthven’s earlier house, although this is unclear. Small parts of this early 17th century palace still exist – a dormer pediment is inside the Stormont mausoleum, and a piece of carved stone at the foot of the mercat cross is though to possibly have come from the palace.

In 1621 Murray was created the 1st Viscount Stormont, and he possibly set about improving and extending the palace to suit his new title. Thought to date to this period is the north gateway in its current form, presumably built on the site of the earlier gatehouse.

A fourth side was later added to the three sided courtyard in order to enclose it, and later still the palace was doubled in length with the addition of a second set of buildings around an enclosed courtyard.

By the end of the 17th century the Palace’s footprint was similar to that of today but the look of it was quite different, as seen in John Slezer’s drawing from 1693.

The Prospect of the House and Town of Skuyn

Theatrum Scotiae, John Slezer, 1693

Also different in appearance in the drawing is the gatehouse, which is shown as a long two storey block plus attic, with a pitched roof and three round towers on the east side. The lower storey is obscured by trees, but it’s tempting to suggest that the present gateway consists of the remains of two of these round towers.

The outside of the gatehouse features three carved panels carrying the coats of arms of the Earl of Mansfield, and those of James VI.

The wall continues to the north-west of the gateway and at the north-west corner is another round tower, possibly the remains of the tower shown on a building on the right side of Slezer’s drawing.

This wall probably dates back to the 17th century, although it may have been rebuilt later. It contains shot holes, some of which look like they may actually be reused architectural fragments from the Abbey.

Over the following decades the Murrays grew in power and influence and in 1776 William Murray, 1st Baron Mansfield, was created the 1st Earl of Mansfield. During these years the Palace also grew and changed. Between 1778 and 1783 work was carried out under the Edinburgh architect George Paterson so that the Palace matched the family’s elevated social status.

At the beginning of the 19th century David Murray, the 3rd Earl of Mansfield, transformed the Palace, at a cost of £60,000, into the magnificent castellated Regency Gothic form it takes today. He commissioned the English architect William Atkinson, with work starting in 1803 and finishing in 1812.

Three storey square towers flank the entrance.

Above the arched doorway is a carved panel carrying the arms of the Earl of Mansfield including the motto “Uni Aequus Virtuti” which translates as “Friendly in virtue alone”.

From the 1920s onwards Scone Palace wasn’t occupied by the family. At the outbreak of the Second World War Craigmount School, a girls’ boarding school in Edinburgh, moved to the Place and remained there until 1952, after which the family returned.

Today Scone Palace serves as the home of the Earl of Mansfield, and is also opened to the public every year.

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Alternative names for Scone Palace

Abbot's Palace; Bishop's Palace; Old Palace; Old Place

Clans associated with Scone Palace

Murray

Ruthven

Surnames associated with Scone Palace

Murray

Ruthven

Where is Scone Palace?

Scone Palace is in the parish of Scone and the county of Perthshire.

Grid reference: NO 11387 26527

Lat / long: 56.422680, -3.438016

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Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Scone Palace

OS map 369
Perth & Kinross (Ochil Hills East & Loch Leven)
OS Explorer map 369


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Directions to Scone Palace

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Weather at Scone Palace

15°C
max 15°C / min 14°C
2km/h NNE
1019mb
65%
94%
03:47 20:33

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Scone at 09:17
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References (books)

Great Houses of Scotland
Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd
London, 1997
Royal Palaces of Scotland
Helen Douglas-Irvine
London, 1911
The Castles of The Heartland of Scotland
Mike Slater
Malvern, 1994

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
Wikipedia
Historic Houses Association
Scone Palace

Castles near Scone Palace

Balhousie Castle

2.1km away

Perth Castle (site of)

2.8km away

Huntingtower Castle

3.4km away

Polkmyl House (site of)

3.5km away

Kinnoull Castle (site of)

3.8km away

Pitheavlis Castle

3.8km away

Kinfauns Castle

5.3km away

Stanley House (possible)

6.3km away

Inchbervis Castle

6.4km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Scone Palace

Blairhall cursus

1.5km away

Moneydie stone circle

5.9km away

Bandirran (west) stone circle

10.5km away

Jackschairs fort

10.5km away

Bandirran (east) stone circle

10.6km away

Bandirran stone circle

10.7km away

Dunsinnan Hill fort

11.2km away

Bachilton stone circle

11.4km away

Long Man's Grave standing stone

11.9km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Scone Palace

Tulloch Class I symbol stone

2.8km away

Cargill Class I symbol stone

9.3km away

Inchyra Stone Class I stone

9.3km away

St Madoes 1 Class

9.8km away

Dupplin Cross Class III cross

9.9km away

Moonshade (possible) (site of) Class I stone

10.4km away

Collace Class I symbol stone

11.4km away

Abernethy No. 5 Class III cross shaft

12.4km away

Abernethy No. 3 Class III cross-slab

12.4km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Scone Palace

Norrie's Law hoard

35.1km away

Haddington silver chain

66.2km away

Traprain Law silver chain

69.5km away

Borland silver chain

80.5km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

81.2km away

Whitlaw silver chain

87.3km away

Hoardweel silver chain

94.2km away

Dunnicaer fort

96.5km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

110.7km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Scone Palace

Holiday Inn Express Perth
hotel, barPerth
1.7km away
Almond Villa B&B
bed and breakfastPerth
2.3km away
Adam Guest House
bed and breakfastPerth
2.3km away
Mercure Perth Hotel
hotelPerth
2.8km away
Grampian Hotel
hotelPerth
3.0km away
New County Hotel, Perth
hotelPerth
3.0km away
Aaron Guest House
bed and breakfastPerth
3.2km away
Salutation Hotel
hotelPerth
3.2km away
Quality Hotel Station Perth
hotelPerth
3.3km away
Symphony Lovat Hotel
hotelPerth
3.3km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Scone Palace

Holiday Inn Express Perth
hotel, barPerth
1.7km away
Breizh
restaurant, caféPerth
3.0km away
Best Western Queens Hotel & Leisure Club
hotel, restaurant, barPerth
3.4km away
Huntingtower Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barAlmondbank
4.1km away
Murrayshall House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barScone
4.2km away
The Famous Bein Inn
hotel, restaurant, barAberargie
14.2km away
Atholl Arms Hotel, Dunkeld
hotel, bar, restaurantDunkeld
18.3km away
Altamount Country House Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantBlairgowrie
19.2km away
Fernie Castle Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barLetham
23.3km away
Luigino's
hotel, restaurantFalkland
23.6km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 1st of July 2013 at 10:53 pm. Updated on the 2nd of May 2016 at 7:21 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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