Stone Of Destiny

Traveling from the Holy Land to Egypt, Sicily, and Spain before arriving in Ireland in AD 700, the Stone of Scone (sometimes called the “Stone of Destiny”) covered a lot of ground before it began its more recent commute between England and Scotland.

The stone gained prominence because of its use in the coronation ceremonies of Scottish kings, but its recent shuttling between the two lands has created a contemporary folklore almost as legendary as the origins of the stone.

On Christmas Day, 1950, Scottish patriot Ian Hamilton hid in Westminster Abbey, where the stone had resided since 1296. He intended to steal the 440 lb. stone and return it to Scotland, but he was detected before the heist was completed. Hamilton (later a prominent Scottish MP) convinced the watchman that he had been locked in accidentally.

That same night, Hamilton and accomplices pulled the stone from its stand, breaking it into two pieces in the process. The stone was sent to a Glasgow workyard for repairs. While in Scotland, it was displayed at the altar in Arbroath Abbey before returning to Westminster. But the stone never made it back. Glasgow councilor Bertie Gray later revealed that the stone was copied and a fake returned. The real deal is now on display at Edinburgh Castle, where it stays under heavy guard.