STV NewsA ceremony is to take place at Edinburgh Castle to mark the departure of the Stone of Destiny.
Lord Lyon will preside over proceedings in the Great Hall, where the stone is being held, before the People’s Procession is led down the Castle Esplanade by a piper and military band.
The Stone of Destiny, which will soon be transferred to its new home at Perth Museum, is an ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy, used for centuries in the inauguration of its kings.
It first went on display in Edinburgh in 1996 and played a key role in the coronation of King Charles last year.
The stone was taken to Westminster Abbey under tight security and was installed in the Coronation Chair for the historic service in May 2023 in which Charles was crowned the nation’s monarch.
After the coronation, the stone was on temporary display at Westminster Abbey, before being transported north again to Edinburgh Castle.
But the 152kg slab of pinkish sandstone will return to Perth for the first time in 700 years to form the centrepiece of a £27m redevelopment of the city’s museum.
The stone was associated with royal inaugurations at nearby Scone, before it was taken to Westminster Abbey in London as war loot by King Edward I.
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