Perth Museum, Scotland
Perth Museum
The Perth Museum in Perth, Scotland reopened in 2024 after a £27 million redevelopment project. It is the new home of the Stone of Scone, returning to Perthshire for the first time in 700 years. The museum is within Perth City Hall which dates from 1914 and in the 1970s and 80s was used as a concert hall.
History
The history of the collections in the museum date back to the Perth Literary & Antiquarian Society and 1784. Previously most of the exhibits were at the Perth Museum & Art Gallery and moved to the new museum in 2024.
Wall panels explain the 'sometimes challenging and deeply problematic circumstances' by which some of the objects came to be on show in Perth, brought to this Scottish city by traders, adventurers and archeologists.
As people from the Perth & Kinross region traveled across the British Empire of its day they acquired objects sometimes by the abuse of power, exploitation and corruption. The museum addresses the 'loot' of several of the exhibits in its collections.
Stone of Scone
The centerpiece of the museum is the Stone of Scone which is visited on a 15-minute tour of the stone (Scone Experience) accompanied by video explanations of its history.
The Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny or Lia Fáil in Gaelic, is an ancient symbol of Scottish kingship and coronation. It has a long and eventful history dating back over a thousand years and holds great significance in Scottish royal tradition.
According to legend, the Stone of Scone has mythical origins, with some accounts tracing it back to biblical times and associating it with the Stone of Jacob from the Old Testament. Historically, it is believed to have been quarried in Scotland, possibly from the region of Perthshire.
The stone served as the traditional coronation seat for Scottish monarchs at what is now the site of Scone Palace (previously Scone Abbey) in Perthshire. Scottish kings were seated upon the stone during coronation ceremonies, symbolizing their rightful rule over the kingdom. Altogether 42 Scottish kings were crowned here including Kenneth MacAlpin (the first King of Scots), Macbeth of Shakespeare fame, Robert the Bruce, and Charles II.
In 1296 Edward I took the stone as a spoil of war to England. It remained under the coronation throne of England in Westminster Abbey until 1950. In that year it was stolen by four Scottish students as a statement of Scottish nationalism. After various adventures, it reappeared on the altar of Arbroath Abbey in 1951 before again being taken back to London. Eventually Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister John Major agreed to return the iconic stone permanently to Scotland in 1996.
The stone was kept in Edinburgh Castle from 1996. The stone is still used for the coronation of monarchs, most recently King Charles III in 2023.
Other Exhibits
The museum's other exhibits include on the ground floor archeological finds from prehistoric times such as the Carpow Logboat from around 10,000 BCE, Pictish stone carvings, and artifacts from the brief Roman occupation of parts of Scotland including ceramics and coins.
On the first floor are pieces from other cultures often appropriated by the Perth Literary & Antiquarian Society in the 18th and 19th centuries. These include items from Maori culture in New Zealand, artefacts from Fiji and the Society Islands, Japanese armor and also pieces from China.
Highlights transferred from Perth Art Gallery include the kākāpō cloak, a chiefly Maori cloak, and the only known full kākāpō feather cloak in existence, the skeleton of a moa, now extinct, the Strathmore meteorite from 1917, the largest ever recorded in Scotland and the Pictish St Madoes Stone which dates from the 8th century.
Also on display are more contemporary pieces including paintings by the 19th century Scottish artist Horatio McCulloch and Miss Georgina Ballantine's salmon from 1922, weighing 29 kilograms (64lbs) thus making it the heaviest British rod-caught salmon ever caught!
The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions. Unicorn, the debut exhibition at the museum, explores the story of Scotland's mythical national animal.
Access & Hours
St John's Place, Perth, PH1 5SZ
Tel: 01738 632488
www: perthmuseum.co.uk
Open; 10 am to 5 pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 10 am - 7pm on Thursday.
Admission: Entry to the permanent galleries is free; entry to the Stone of Scone exhibition is also free but should be pre booked online.
The Perth Museum Café, Stone, is adjacent to the main entrance.
Getting There
Dundee Airport is 30 minutes by car from the museum on the A90.
Perth Station is the closest railway station, just 15 minutes away on foot.
Perth Station, on both the Glasgow to Dundee Line and the Highland Main Line has trains to Dundee Station in Dundee, Glasgow Queen Street in Glasgow via Stirling, as well as service to Edinburgh, Arbroath and Inverness.
Dundee Station has trains to London King's Cross Station from Aberdeen via Edinburgh, Newcastle and York Station in York and connections south to Edinburgh Waverley Station in Edinburgh.
If you wish to stay in Perth try the 5-star The Townhouse, at 17 Marshall Place with views over South Inch Park. Also recommended are the 5-star Alexander Residence and Holiday Inn Express Perth with 81 en-suite rooms.
Perth Attractions
Perth's other attractions include the nearby Perth Art Gallery which houses a wide collection of Scottish art. The Fair Maid's House Visitor and Education Centre, is the oldest secular building in Perth and now the home of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. The Black Watch Castle & Museum, housed in the historic Balhousie Castle, is dedicated to the history of The Black Watch, Scotland's oldest Highland regiment. It has a collection of uniforms, medals, and military artifacts spanning over three centuries.
Perth's churches include St John's Kirk opposite the museum. It dates back to the 12th century, renowned for its Gothic architecture and historic significance. In 1559, John Knox preached against idolatry in the kirk, which marked the beginning of the Reformation in Scotland. St. Ninian's Cathedral was the first new cathedral to be built in Britain after the Reformation, completed in 1850.
Gallery
Scotland Related
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum
Hermaness National Nature Reserve
Maps of Perth
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