Winter Opening Hours 

The Palace officially closed for the season on Saturday 31st October  but the grounds continue to be open each Friday between 10am and 4pm from November to April, offering the perfect opportunity to enjoy the magnificent gardens in all their seasonal splendour.

The Acer Garden provides a wonderful autumn spectacle, with reds and golds in abundance. In winter, the exotic conifers in the 4th Earl’s mid-19th century Pinetum provide an impressive backdrop for a stroll in crisp, winter sunshine. Normal grounds admission charges apply - £4.80 adults, £3.20 children and £4.20 concessions. 

The Palace will also be open for a number of special events over the winter. Please visit our Events Calendar for more information.

Scone achieves Silver Award

We are delighted to say that Scone has achieved a Silver Award under the Green Tourism Business Scheme. The grading advisor assessed us against a rigorous set of criteria, covering areas such as energy and water efficiency, waste management and biodiversity.

Elspeth Bruce, Palace Administrator says, "The team here has put in a huge amount of effort to build our green credentials and reduce our carbon footprint. It is extremely gratifying to have our efforts acknowledged in this way. Over the coming months we'll be working hard to reach the standard required for that coveted Gold Award!"  

Runrig rock the Palace

13,500 fans from across the world joined us in the Palace parklands on August 29th as Runrig, Scotland's premier Celtic rock band, took to the stage in a spectacular concert to celebrate the Year of Homecoming.

The band treated us to some of their all-time classics including ‘In Search of Angels' and ‘Every River', with the very aptly-titled ‘Going Home' rounding off a memorable night.

Amongst the audience were some very special guests, including Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond MSP, himself a long-time Runrig fan. Speaking about the show he said: "This has been an exceptional year for Scotland as people across the world join us for our Homecoming celebrations".

"Building on recent world-class events such as The Open Championship and The Gathering, Runrig have put on a memorable show in a spectacular setting".

Grounds Tours of Scone Palace

We are delighted to introduce Grounds Tours of Scone Palace into our busy events calendar.  Join our Assistant Head Gardener, Jonathan Campbell as he takes visitors on a special tour of the magnificent gardens at Scone Palace.  Look out for details of Grounds Tours for 2010 in our Events Calendar. 

Renowned Plant Hunter Honoured 

Plant hunter David Douglas has been celebrated at Scone Palace with a striking new pavilion, built in his honour, being officially opened by Vicountess Stormont. The pavilion is the latest in a series of interpretative elements to be installed at sites across Perthshire, as part of the £1.8 million Big Tree Country Heritage & Access Project managed by Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust.

As one of Scotland’s most prolific and best-known plant collectors, David Douglas developed his interest in plants as an apprentice gardener at Scone Palace. It is in recognition of this, and his contribution to the Big Tree Country landscape, that the pavilion was built in the palace grounds.   

The Murray Suite at Scone

The recently refurbished Murray Suite at Scone comprises of two rooms,  The Balvaird and The Tullibardine. These beautifully decorated rooms  offer exclusive space for conferences, receptions, board meetings and dining.  Situated on the first floor of the Palace, they overlook the beautiful mature Parklands and the River Tay, and the rolling hills beyond. 

Soft furnishings include fabrics by Zoffany and Wemyss and Co, whilst wall coverings were sourced from Cole and Son and Zoffany which are also featured within the State Rooms.

The demand for the use of these rooms has been exceptional, as they combine the best of modern technology with traditional elegance and area available for exclusive use throughout the year. 

To discuss your requirements please telephone +44 (0) 1738 552300 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Release of 'Stone of Destiny'

2008 saw the release of ‘Stone of Destiny’.  Set in 1950, the film is based on the story of Ian Hamilton and three other nationalists who daringly broke into Westminster Abbey and returned the Stone to Scotland. The Stone of Destiny, also called the Stone of Scone, is of course an integral part of our history as it was placed on Moot Hill and used in the coronations of the Kings of Scots here at Scone until the end of the 13th century. 'Stone of Destiny' DVD was released on 23rd March 2009.