SCONE PALACE

Scone Palace. To sound local, pronounce it: scoune palace. This is a place of immense importance in Scotland's royal heritage. 1,500 years ago, it was the capital of the Picts, when they ruled Scotland. It is a historic coronation site for the country's monarchs. Indeed, Macbeth, Robert the Bruce and Charles II are among the thirty-eight kings who have marched here. The ritual ceremony took place on top of Moot Hill and the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, which is now on display at Edinburgh Castle and has had a chequered history. A chapel now stands on the site where Kenneth MacAlpin became Scotland's first king in 838, and a replica of the famous stone has been installed.

Palace. The original palace dates back to the ^12th century, but was replaced in 1812 by the Georgian marvel we see today. Every room is a feast of luxury and pageantry, with valuable furnishings, magnificent paintings and refined decorative arts.

Gardens. The gardens are a playground for deer and Highland cows. In the Pinetum, you can admire magnificent and rare specimens of giant sequoia and fir. This part of the garden is completed by the Douglas Pavilion, created in honor of explorer and local boy David Douglas, plant hunter and discoverer of the Douglas pine, hence the name. It is open free of charge from Friday to Sunday in winter.