Portal:Scotland/Selected article/Week 40, 2009

Scone (Modern Gaelic: Sgàin; Medieval: Scoine) is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield. Hence the modern village of Scone, and the medieval village of Old Scone, can often be distinguished. Both sites lie in the historical province of Gowrie.

Old Scone was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Alba (Scotland). In the Middle Ages it was an important royal centre, used as a royal residence and as the coronation site of the kingdom's monarchs. Scotland itself was often called the "Kingdom of Scone", "Righe Sgoinde". A comparison would be that Ireland was often called the "Kingdom of Tara", Tara, like Scone, serving as a ceremonial inauguration site.

Around the royal site grew the town of Perth and the Abbey of Scone. In either 1163 or 1164 King Malcolm IV described Scone Abbey as in principali sede regni nostri, "in the principal seat of our kingdom".