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The Stone of DestinyA replica of The Stone of Destiny at Scone Palace
In the first half of the first millennium Irish migrants crossed to what is now Scotland and set up a colony consisting of three settlements on Islay, Lorn and Kintyre. This colony was called "Argyle", which means "the eastern Irish". People from Argyle, began to wander further afield into Scotland, coming up against Pictish natives. What happened then has been a source of confusion and misinformation ever since. Whether through fighting or cultural assimilation, or a combination of both, the Irish settlers eventually gained an upper hand over the Picts, and then worked to minimise the Picts' importance in history. Hugh Trevor Roper in his book The Invention of Scotland describes how writers such as Hector Boece and George Buchanan took the history of Argyle back through time in an attempt to give Irish settlers historical precedence over Pictish natives. The Stone of Destiny was used to help do this. Early in the thirteenth century it was claimed that the mythical Stone of Scone came to Scotland from Spain via Ireland. The Stone was supposed to have made its journey to Scone in the fourth century, which meant this iconic rock suggested Irish kings of Scotland predated Pictish kings. What actually happened is not clearly understood, but with a propaganda symbol like the Strone of Destiny the crucial thing is what is thought to have happened, not what actually happened.
The Stone of Destiny remained at Scone until 1296. By this time Edward the First of England had defeated Wales, and installed a puppet king, Jean de Baliol, known as John the First, on the Scottish throne. When John refused to support Edward in war against France, Edward invaded Scotland. John surrendered in 1296, the Great Seal of Scotland was smashed, and the Stone of Destiny was carried off to London where it remained until November 1996.
On St Andrews Day, the 30th of November, 1996 the Stone of Destiny was returned to Scotland. 10,000 people watched the procession which accompanied the stone on its journey from Holyrood Palace, down the Royal Mile, to Edinburgh Castle. The stone can now be seen at the castle, and will only be temporarily returned to London when a new monarch is crowned, when it will sit once again under the Coronation Seat in Westminster Abbey.