THE Stone of Destiny has been safely returned to Edinburgh Castle following its role in the King’s coronation.
Historic Environment Scotland has confirmed the relic returned to the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle and has been reunited with the Honours of Scotland.
The return trip from London was not revealed to the public.
Last week, an official reply from Historic Environment Scotland explained that it was to remain in London until the coronation theatre at Westminster Abbey closed, but there was no official date on when it would return.
The coronation theatre was open for self-guided tours until Saturday, May 13 where people were able to view the coronation chair among other elements from the ceremony.
Kathy Richmond, Head of Collections & Applied Conservation at Historic Environment Scotland said: “We are delighted to have fulfilled our responsibilities on behalf of the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia and that the Stone of Destiny is now back on display for visitors to Edinburgh Castle to enjoy.
"Historic Environment Scotland is proud of the hard work that went into achieving this, not just by our teams, but by the partners who supported us and collaborated to ensure the Stone was safely included and returned to the Castle.”
Humza Yousaf previously said he would make sure the Stone of Destiny “comes back up the road” after the iconic relic played an important role in the King’s coronation.
It marked the first outing for the Stone since it was officially returned to Scotland by John Major in 1996, 700 years after it was stolen during the Wars of Independence.
It will remain at Edinburgh Castle before being transported to Perth in 2024 to be housed in the new Perth Museum.
Alba have welcomed the Stone's return after their conference backed a motion at the weekend calling on the immediate transfer of the Stone of Destiny back to Scotland.
The party now want the Stone of Destiny to embark on a National Tour of Scotland before taking up its new home at a bespoke museum that is being constructed in Perth to house it.
Commenting, Alba's national organisation convener Denise Findlay said: “The Stone of Destiny is an ancient symbol of our Nation’s Sovereignty. To some it might just be a lump of rock, but it is our lump of rock.
"The sole reason it takes part in Coronation’s at Westminster Abbey is to symbolise Overlordship of Scotland. The Scottish Constitutional tradition has a history that Scotland’s Kings swore an oath of allegiance to the people so it was bitterly disappointing that, whilst Westminster denies Scots their right to Self-Determination, the First Minister agreed to allow the Stone to travel to London before following it there to needlessly swear an Oath of Allegiance to King Charles.
“We welcome that our demands have been met and the Stone has been returned to Scotland. In advance of taking up its new home in Perth it should embark on a National Tour of Scotland, visiting schools to learn its importance in Scotland’s story and allowing as many people as possible to get a close up look.”
