Scone Palace Chapel Scotland

Images of Britain: Scone Palace Chapel, Scotland

Scone Palace Chapel, Perth, Scotland. — Scone Palace Chapel, Perth, Scotland

The Presbyterian Scone Palace Chapel at Scone Palace in Scotland is the family chapel of the Murray family, Earls of Mansfield and owners of Scone Palace.

The interior of the small church is lined with memorials to the Murray family including the impressive monument to Sir David Murray the first Lord Scone (and later Viscount of Stormont).

Sir David was granted the lands of Scone Abbey following the so-called mysterious "Gowrie Conspiracy", when John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie tried to kill or kidnap King James VI of Scotland for unknown reasons. This, however, is just one possible explanation of the bloody and tragic event.

Both John Ruthven and his younger brother were killed in a struggle by the king's retainers and the Guthrie lands were forfeited to Murray. David Murray held high office under James VI of Scotland (and later James I of England) dealing mainly with ecclesiastical affairs in Scotland.

However, Murray died without issue and his lands passed to a different branch of the Murray family.

The monument is made in Italian alabaster and shows David Murray kneeling in prayer between two of his friends, the Marquis of Tullibardine and Earl Marischal, who Murray helped to reconcile after a long feud.