Scone Palace & Grounds
Scone Palace is the home of the Earl and Countess of Mansfield and is built on the site of an ancient abbey. 1500 years ago it was the capital of the Pictish kingdom and the centre of the ancient Celtic church. In the intervening years, it has been the seat of parliaments and crowning place of Scottish kings, including Macbeth, Robert the Bruce and Charles II. The State Rooms house a superb collection of objets d’art, including seventeenth and eighteenth century ivories, mostly collected by the fourth Earl of Mansfield. Notable works of art are also on display, including paintings by Sir David Wilkie, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Johann Zoffany. The Library boasts one of Scotland’s finest collections of porcelain, including Sevres, Ludwigsburg and Meissen, whilst the unique ‘Vernis Martin’ papier mache may be viewed in the Long Gallery. An audio visual presentation explores centuries of Scone’s history. Gardens The grounds of the Palace house magnificent collections of shrubs, with woodland walks through the Wild Garden containing David Douglas’ original fir and the unique Murray Star Maze. A pavilion dedicated to Douglas and other Scottish plant hunters has recently been constructed. A Wildlife Trail way-marked by cartoon characteer ‘Cyril the Squirrel’ encourages younger visitors to become nature detectives. There are Highland cattle and peacocks to admire and an adventure play area for children. The 100 acres of mature Policy Parks, flanked by the River Tay,…
