Scone Palace, Perth

My partner works away a lot as an electrical contractor, and as our relationship has developed he has been inviting me along to Scotland on his stays so we can spend more time together and sight-see some of the stunning Castles and Palaces this beautiful country has to offer. One of the places we have visited of late has been the fabulous Scone Palace – home of the 8th Earl of Mansfield and previously visited by some of the Nation’s Greats such as Robert the Bruce, King Charles ll and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Queen Victoria graced this splendid Palace with her presence in 1842 and a whole bedroom has been preserved in her honour within this stately building.

History in the Making…
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The present Scone Palace (pronounced Scoon – like Spoon) is actually the third building to inhabit the impressively kept grounds. The first building was an Abbey (excavations were being carried out as little as two years ago to try and discover more of the Abbey’s original foundations), the second looked like a Shakesperian-type of dwelling complete with an integral courtyard – this was destroyed in Scotland’s Reformation Period in the 1500’s. It was then re-built in the early 1800’s and has housed generations of the Mansfield family ever since. Royalty have always been a part of the Palace with Coronations taking place from as early as 1306 with Robert the Bruce being crowned on the Stone of Scone, through to King Charles ll in 1651 when he accepted the Scottish crown.
The Stone of Scone (better known as the Stone of Destiny) was removed from the Palace in the latter end of the 13th Century and placed in Westminster Abbey until it was presented back to the people of Scotland finally in 1996. The Stone was used in Queen Elizabeth ll’s Coronation so is still an integral part of the United Kingdom’s heritage and is now on display in Edinburgh Castle alongside the Queen’s Scottish Crown Jewels such is its importance.

Both the Queen Mother and the Queen herself have planted trees within the grounds, plus there were several pictures of Prince Charles mixing with the Earl of Mansfield situated upon a grand piano in one of the stately rooms. As a matter of interest Elizabeth ll is due to visit the Palace again this year, alongside a visit to nearby Perth…

Directions to the Palace
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Situated a mere 2 miles from Perth, we found the Palace to be well sign-posted on the A93 Braemar road. We drove, but it can be reached via public transport from Perth itself, cycle or the nearest train station is three miles away in Perth again. It is set back from the main road so I felt that reaching it by vehicle was the best option for me as I have limited mobility.

Disabled Access
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I have a Blue Badge as I am registered disabled and found the ticket collector to be incredibly helpful. We were allowed through the main barrier and advised to park just past the Palace itself. The Palace and grounds are perfect for anyone of limited mobility or wheelchair-bound as everything is level and the Palace itself is surprisingly small. There is information on the website: http://www.scone-palace.co.uk/ for people with disabilities, toilet facilities, etc plus the free loan of a wheelchair.

Prices/Opening Times
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We paid £10 a head. You can pay for a Ground Only visit per adult which is £5.80 but I would definitely recommend a visit into the Palace itself. Child Price is £7 for 2012 or £4 for Ground Only, OAP/Student £9 or £5.15 respectively, or a Family ticket comes in at £30 per visit.

Scone Palace is open from 1st April through to the 31st October 2012, but the grounds are open all year through. The website does state visits within the Palace can be arrange by prior agreement.

Maps and a Guide were given out when we purchased our tickets, otherwise a booklet for £4.95 was on sale for the more ardent History buffs amongst us.

Facilities/Gardens/Things to Do
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As well as the Palace there are extensive grounds to cover, a butterfly garden plus the ancient burial ground of Scone to explore if you are that way inclined (I happen to love old graveyards personally!). There is the obligatory gift shop as you exit the Palace tour as well as two coffee shops/restaurants (although only the coffee shop was open on our visit on the 1st May). There is a beautifully sculptured David Douglas Pavilion situated within a tree’d area, named after the intrepid explorer/botanist who sent a Douglas Fir seed back in the 18th century which is now a monumental tree specimen of immense proportions. Just by this spectacular fir is the site of the former Abbey of Scone which now only amounts to a pile of ancient stones and troughs…

There is a Chapel situated on Moot Hill which was the ancient crowning place of the Kings of Scots. Here sit today a replica of the Stone of Destiny which my partner and myself took great delight on sitting on. There was a 16th century archway to the ancient and original village of Scone but it is currently being rebuilt after a hapless lorry driver decided to take an ill-fated short-cut underneath it – Oops!
Walking past Mr Douglas’s Pavilion you happen upon The Pinetum, which in actuality is a spectacular collection of coniferous trees. To the left of The Pinetum is The Murray Star Maze made up of 2000 beech trees and designed by the world famous Adrian Fisher. This was great fun to try and do and has a bridge overlooking the bronze water statue in the centre of the maze.

A nature walk is sign-posted along with all the major attractions there. Many of the trees in The Pinetum were labelled which we found very interesting as there were specimens from all over the world. It has to be said I would not recommend a visit in the rain as most of the attractions aside from the objets d’art, porcelain and ivory, etc, are situated outside. Children are catered for also with an adventure playground and an animal corner. Driving up towards the gravelled courtyard in from of the Palace there are fields of Highland cattle which really added to the Scottish feel of the place.
The gardens and grounds are absolutely immaculate; no expense seems to be spared in maintaining the grassed areas to their optimum condition. Plethoras of daffodils – still some in blooms – scattered seamlessly amongst the stunning specimens of trees and bushes. I was delighted to see my favourite plant – the Bleeding Heart – growing wild in the woods, its beauty transcended only by the sheer greenery around it.

There is a picnic area as you approach the ticket office, several families were sat making the most of the fine May sunshine.

My Opinion of the Palace
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Pristine in condition, the Palace itself is covered with Creeping Virginia which is not yet anywhere near its stunning peak, but still the vines made the brickwork look distinctive, aged and weathered. The main entrance to the building is situated on the right hand side as you approach the Palace. Everything was well sign-posted and easy to follow. On entering Scone Palace you are greeted by one of several friendly and knowledgeable Guides scattered around the rooms and an introductory leaflet explained the rich and colourful Regal history in essence. The pride within the family is tangible of their beautiful home. The open to the public rooms are situated on the first floor with the family’s private apartments below and above. The entire place was immaculately clean and steeped in historical antiques and furniture as you would expect. There are sculptures galore made of ivory, bronze statues abound as do French clocks and chairs. Mary Queen of Scots has a bed hanging on display that she worked on while in prison in nearby Loch Leven. There is also a desk owned by the young Queen Marie Antoinette, rich is marquetry and amazingly well-preserved given its age.
Paintings are plentiful, huge and imposing. And yet for all it’s splendiferous glory, this Palace is so small, so intimate in its family history with informal pictures scattered throughout of the Mansfields’ and their generations of heirs and heiresses that you feel almost as if you are in a family home rather than an imposing Royal Palace.

All the priceless furniture is cordoned off of course with huge reams of blue cords but you are close enough almost to breathe in the tapestries’ fabrics and textures. Colours are bright, the pieces of objets d’art strangely alive in a timeless world of decadence and luxury. The huge-ceilinged rooms are adorned with tapestrie’d partitions, silk wallpaper and ornate cornices. Each room is vastly different to the former, Queen Victoria’s bedroom in particular looked like it had only been decorated yesterday.

A State dining room, a State drawing room, a Library plus an Inner Hall where Queen Victoria practiced her curling skills on a 15th century wooden floor all feature in your tour around this stunning piece of history. I found The Long Gallery in particular gorgeous, this is one of the oldest parts of the Palace and you can see the difference comparing this 15th century original architecture to the 18th century newer building. Turrets abound and are typical of the designs of the time – this place would be a little girl’s dream castle!

I would say you need a dry day to get your money’s worth. The walks through the gardens, woodland areas are delightful – the air pure and fresh, the scenery second to none. However, the part of the Palace open to the public is surprisingly small inside so on a rainy day you would be hard pushed to kill an hour inside without a visit to the Old Kitchen Restaurant or Old Servants’ Hall Coffee Shop.
The toilet facilities were as clean as the rest of the place, the coffee shop was of a lovely castle design and well-stocked with snacks and a very snazzy coffee machine. Darren and I had a soup, scone (Of course!) with whipped cream and jam, plus a latte and it came just short of £9 so the prices were about par for the course for such a place I would say. The food was fresh and butter, condiments, etc, were help yourself which we both liked.

All in all I cannot fault our visit. The weather was wonderful – sunny and warm – the Palace stunning and a credit to the Scottish for looking after their fantastic heritage as well as they do. The grounds were a delight to meander gently around as much as my limited mobility allowed, and white wrought iron benches abounded to rest your weary bones or just soak in the ambiance of the place. Peacocks ran rife, fabulous on their opulence – even white peacocks roam freely, quite tame and come up pretty close too. For a few hours spent on a lazy afternoon Scone Palace is just the ticket and a must-see for History buffs. Please do visit if you find yourself up this neck of the woods!