Editing Scone Palace (section)

===Ancient Kingdom of Scone===

Scone was from at least the 9th century the crowning-place of the [[Kings of Scots]] and home to the [[Stone of Scone]], more commonly referred to as the Stone of Destiny. [[Kenneth MacAlpin]] (traditionally known as the first King of Scots), [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s [[Macbeth]], [[Robert the Bruce]], and [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] number amongst the 42 kings of Scots inaugurated and crowned at Scone. It was believed that no king had a right to reign as king of Scots unless he had first been crowned at Scone upon the [[Stone of Scone]]. In the [[Middle Ages]], the land was the site of a major [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] abbey, [[Scone Abbey]], nothing of which now remains above ground level except detached architectural fragments. Scone was also the site of the first [[Parliament of Scotland]], or Council/Assembly. King [[Constantine II of Scotland|Constantine II]] in 906 called for an assembly to meet at Scone. The assembly was recorded in the ''Chronicle of the Kings of Alba''; ''Alba'' being the early name for the early medieval [[Kingdom of Scotland]]. The Chronicle records that:<blockquote>King Constantine and Bishop [[Cellach I of Cennrígmonaid|Cellach]] met at the ''Hill of Belief'' near the Royal City of [[Scone, Perth and Kinross|Scone]] and pledged themselves that the laws and disciplines of the faith, and the laws of churches and gospels, should be kept ''pariter cum Scottis''.<ref>After Anderson, ''Early Sources'', p. 445.</ref></blockquote>

Scone was thus the centre of power in the ancient [[Kingdom of Alba]], doubling up as the site of both Scottish coronations and [[Parliament of Scotland|parliaments]]. Further to this in medieval times Scone acted as a royal residence and hunting ground. [[Robert II King of Scots|Robert II]] would have spent most of his life calling Scone home. He was eventually laid to rest in [[Scone Abbey|the Abbey]] itself, although his grave has never been located. A popular old saying suggests the significance of Scone's status in the Kingdom of Alba's, and later Scotland's, governance and rule:<blockquote>As the Bell of Scone rang, So mote it be.<ref>After Cowan, ''Perth, the Ancient Capital of Scotland'', p. 85.</ref></blockquote>

This saying has often been re-quoted as "When the Bell of Scone tolls, the law of the land has been made". It is a statement of the great significance of the ceremonies held at Scone, and the judgments made from a top the [[Moot Hill]]. It is old sayings like this which frustrated historians, as the sayings clearly detail Scone's important role in Scottish history, and in the early formation of the Scottish nation. The primary source of much of Scone's early history and modern reputation is reliant upon Scottish folklore. An example of another piece of Scottish folklore which reminds us of Scone's position as the premier seat of power in the evolving early medieval Scottish nation is the Gaelic:<blockquote>''Comhairle clag Sgàin: An rud nach buin duit na bean dà''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pipesdrums.com/wp-content/docengines/D9457380E9C34467B8DAFD7C5BC61DCC.pdf|title=The Bells of Perth|publisher=Pipes and Drums|access-date=22 June 2021}}</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>"Counsel of the bell of Scone, Touch not what is not thine own."</blockquote>

In [[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]] poetry Scone's association more specifically with kings and king-making gave it various poetic epithets, for instance, ''Scoine sciath-airde'', meaning "Scone of the High Shields", and ''{{lang|gd|Scoine sciath-bhinne}}'', meaning "Scone of the Noisy Shields".<ref>[[#Skene1867|Skene (1867)]], pp. 84, 97.</ref> The "Noisy Shields" here refer to a folkloric ceremony in which magnates would gather at Scone for a Council. As they entered the [[Great Hall]] each magnate in turn would hang their shield displaying their [[coats of arms]] on the walls before beating their weapons against them.<ref>{{cite book|title=Scotland, the making of the kingdom (The Edinburgh history of Scotland)|first1=A. A. M. |last1=Duncan|first2=Ranald |last2=Nicholson|first3=William |last3=Ferguson|publisher=Oliver and Boyd |year=1975|isbn=978-0064918305 |page=115}}</ref>

The ''mons placiti'' or Scone [[Moot Hill]] is the inauguration site of the Scottish Kings. It is also called 'Boot Hill', possibly from an ancient tradition whereby nobles swore fealty to their king whilst wearing the earth of their own lands in their foot-bindings or boots, or even by standing upon the earth that they had brought with them from their respective homelands (carrying the soil in their boots). The tradition being that the Moot Hill, or rather 'Boot Hill', came into being as a result of this tradition of nobles bring a piece of their own lands to Scone. The kings of Scots, themselves inaugurated upon the Moot Hill, were thus making during these ceremonies a hugely symbolic commitment to the people of Scotland, the [[Scottish people|Scots]]. This commitment was made from atop a hill which, if one believes the tradition, represented all parts of the kingdom of Scots and thus allowed the King to make his oaths whilst standing symbolically upon all of Scotland.<ref name="Scone">{{Cite web|url=https://www.scone-palace.net/palace/moothill.cfm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807151718/http://www.scone-palace.net/palace/moothill.cfm|url-status=dead|title=The Moot Hill – Scone Palace|archivedate=7 August 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Moot hill.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Moot Hill]] and chapel at Scone, perhaps the ''Hill of Belief'' of 906<ref>Bannerman, "Scottish Takeover", p. 79.</ref>]]