Sacred Scottish stone in Edinburgh Castle, a symbol of Scottish nationhood taken to London for the coronation

The Stone of Destiny, a sacred piece of sandstone that is a symbol of Scottish nationhood, has been transported from Edinburgh Castle to London for King Charles III’s coronation, where it will play a significant role. The 335-pound stone was last taken out of Scotland in 1996, when it was officially returned following a 700-year absence. The stone, which was seized from the Scots by the English king Edward I in 1296, was transported to Westminster Abbey in London under tight security for the May 6 ceremony. Officials at Edinburgh Castle held a special ceremony bidding farewell to the stone before it left for London on Thursday.

The Stone of Scone, as it is also known, was believed to be brought from the Holy Land through Egypt, Sicily, and Spain to Ireland before being placed in a monastery in Scone, Scotland, in the 9th century. It was used for centuries in the inauguration of Scottish kings. According to Professor David Breeze, a historian and archaeologist from the University of Edinburgh, it is highly likely that the stone originates from the ancient Pictish kingdom of Scotland, although the origin of the stone has long been shrouded in myth.

Edward ordered the stone to be built into the Coronation Chair in London in 1296 to make a statement about the status of Scotland. The stone remained in Westminster Abbey for most of the next 650 years, until Christmas Eve 1950 when a group of Scottish students took part in an audacious raid to retrieve it. The stone was later found on the site of the High Altar at Arbroath Abbey, where Scottish nationhood was declared in 1320. It was taken back to London in 1951 and returned to Westminster Abbey before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

The stone was returned to Edinburgh in 1996 on the condition that it only leaves Scotland for the coronation of future kings and queens. Kathy Richmond, head of collections and applied conservation at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which looks after the stone, said they were working closely with the conservation team at Westminster Abbey on the installation of the stone. She added that it is a tremendous privilege for HES to play its part in such a significant and historic occasion and also a great responsibility to ensure the safe voyage and return of such an important national symbol.