Scone Palace

Schöné Ausstellung und sehr viele Fotos wert!!!

Scone Palace is just an hours drive North of Edinburgh and can be easiest reached by car. The estate lies outside of Perth and personally I would avoid public transport to get there, however, it does not mean you can’t.
The Scone Palace Estate is massive and once a year it hosts the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Scottish Game Fair (in July). There is lots going on and folks come from far and local to see the animals and planned shows for children and adults alike.
This year I visited just before the show and watched the tents being erected. People working away whilst I could explore the Estate. The driveway up to the Palace takes a while and you can watch the beautiful scenery and wild animals until you finally reach the car park. One side was reserved for buses and the other for cars. Must confess that I did not think the car park was particularly large, but on that day it was ok to easily get a car park. At the kiosk I paid an entrance fee of £10.00 and was given a small map that explained all the different walk ways through the Estate.
First and foremost I was interested in the Stone of Scone and its exact location on which all the Kings and «Queens» were crowned — at least until Charles II. Of course, I was particularly interested in the place because Robert de Bruce was crowned there at Moot Hill (on which the replica Stone of Scone rests), even the Stone of Scone had already been transported to England by then (by King Edward I). And luckily a MacDuff was available to crown the future King of Scots. Strictly speaking it was Isabella MacDuff (as her husband refused to).
Nowadays, looking from Moot Hill you can view Scone Palace in all its prowess. The palace is massive and build of Sandstone in 1808. There are several entrances to the palace, of which the smaller entrances are to the restaurant, gift shop and coffee shop down in the cellars (or lower floors). I enjoyed a quick stop over in the restaurant and browsing the gift shop before heading back to Edinburgh. I was even able to enjoy a bit of sunshine outside, sitting at one of the tables, before it started raining. Inside it was cozy and warm and the food surprisingly good. Certainly its a bit overpriced for what you get, but its definitely worth the experience and the surroundings.
I was able to also explore the insight of the Palace and noticed that everything is very much in tact. The Earl of Mansfield, I assume, still lives there occasionally. The rooms are massive, high ceilings, embroidery on walls, costly paintings, family photographs spread around the property, elegant furnishing and visitor advisers in every room. They will guide you in the right direction or will inform you of the rooms history or answer any question you might have. Everything you see and experience oozes wealth and aristocratic background.
Before the Palace there stood Scone Abbey and its significance goes even further back than the middle ages. The place was a gathering point for the Picts and later an important Christian site.
After the Palace exploration and the tale of «Belle» (illegitimate daughter of one of the Earls) I decided to stroll around the Woodlands and admire the astonishing view of various trees in the Arboretum until I reached the most amazing and largest Maze ever. You should try it too. Its takes a while to get to the centre, but its totally worth it :-)
I only had half a day, but if you have children you can easily spend a full day there. So much to see and do. I even was able to get close to a Highland Cow (behind a fence) and watched Peacocks roaming the greens.
Enjoy!