A rough-hewn block of gray sandstone, sacred to Scots as a symbol of sovereignty, was returned Friday after 700 years in England and an hour's delay for a bomb scare.
The stone, known as the Stone of Scone, was removed from beneath the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey in London and driven north to Scotland.After conservationists in Edinburgh examine it, the stone will be placed on public view in Edinburgh Castle on Nov. 30, the feast day of Scotland's patron saint, St. Andrew.
The stone slab, weighing 458 pounds, was quarried in Scotland, but it is not known where or when. Legends claim that the biblical patriarch Jacob rested his head on it when he dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven.
Scotland's ancient kings were crowned on the stone at Scone (pronounced skoon) for centuries, until King Edward I of England stole it in 1296.
About 500 people in the Scottish border town of Coldstream turned out Friday to celebrate the stone's return. That return was delayed an extra hour after a bomb scare sparked by a shoe box discovered on the bridge at the border. Army demolition experts were called in. It was empty.
Michael Forsyth, the Cabinet official responsible for Scotland, crossed from the Scottish side to officially receive the stone. It was escorted to Scotland by members of the Coldstream Guards.
Prime Minister John Major announced the decision to return the stone on July 3, saying: "I believe that on this, the 700th anniversary of its removal from Scotland, it is appropriate to return it to its historic homeland."
The return of the stone has been greeted with some cynicism in Scotland.