Stone of Destiny's coming back to Perth

Perth has been handed an early Christmas present after it was announced the historic Stone of Destiny was heading to the city.

It’s being moved from Edinburgh Castle and the public will be able to visit the Stone for free as the centrepiece of a new museum located at a renovated Perth City Hall.

This refurbishment is expected to be completed in early 2024. The decision comes over a year after a consultation into the future of the relic closed.

Welcoming the news on Wednesday, Perthshire North MSP John Swinney said: "I am absolutely delighted by this news.

"As someone who has campaigned for the stone to return to Perthshire for almost a quarter of a century, it sometimes seemed like this day would never come.

“The return of the stone to its ancestral home will be a huge boost to the economy of the Perthshire.

"Indeed, the stone’s relocation to Perth will put it within 90 minutes driving distance of 70 per cent of Scotland’s population, and will surely lead to an increase in those visiting our city and the surrounding areas.

“Moreover, this is welcome news in what has been an incredibly difficult year for us all.

"The stone’s return, and the undoubted benefits it will bring, is something for us all to look forward to as the Scottish Government continues the rollout of its vaccination programme.”