The Stone of Destiny – also known as the Stone of Scone or Lia Fail – is an ancient symbol of Scottish sovereignty with links to Ireland and Spain and it is also associated with biblical times.
However, while its existence is undisputed and it has a long history, the stone on display in Perth, Scotland today is a fairly unremarkable rock: a rectangular slab of pinkish sandstone quarried in Perthshire the size of a small suitcase that weighs around 152kg. Its only decoration is a roughly incised cross. At each end, iron rings are fitted, probably inserted to assist in carrying it.
Legend has it that this was the same stone used by the biblical figure Jacob (the father of the Israelites) as a pillow in Bethel when he dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven. From here, one of Jacob’s sons is said to have taken it to Egypt, from where it was taken to Spain and later to Ireland with the Spanish king’s son, Simon Brech.
There it was placed on the sacred Hill of Tara near Skryne in County Meath and named the Lia Fail, or “speaking stone”, because it was said to groan aloud if the claimant seated on the stone was of royal blood.
Legend has it that the Lia Fail was taken from Ireland to Scotland when Fergus moved his royal seat to Dunnadd in Argyll. We do know for certain that the Stone ended up in Scone Abbey in Perthshire after Kenneth MacAlpine moved his capital from Western Scotland to Dunkeld and that this was used for centuries as part of the inauguration ceremony of Scottish monarchs.
When Edward I invaded Scotland in 1296 he took a stone back with him to England from Scone and had it fitted into the base of a specially-made wooden Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey. Edward, of course asserted that this was the Stone of Destiny but legend has it that the monks at Scone Palace actually hid the real stone and tricked the English troops into taking a substitute.
An industry has grown up discussing whether the sandstone lump in Westminster is the real stone or a fake. Some of the arguments are rehearsed by my detective characters Gask and Rait in my latest crime novel, The Case of The Beth-El Stone. Until the real stone is found, if it still exists, I’m sure that the tales and arguments will continue down the ages.
David Cairns, the Baron of Finavon (an ancient Scottish title) was, until recently, a technology entrepreneur. He is the author of The Helots’ Tale series – Downfall and Redemption, The Case of the Emigrant Niece (a finalist in the Readers’ Choice Book Award 2023), The Case of the Wandering Corpse and The Case of the Beth-El Stone, which are available from all good bookstores. www.CairnsofFinavon.com. X: @TheDavidCairns.
