The historic Stone of Destiny is to be moved from Edinburgh Castle for the Coronation of King Charles.
An integral part of the royal ceremony, the stone is a symbol of monarchy both north and south of the border.
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Now held in the Crown Room of the castle, the red sandstone weighing 152kg, which is also known as the Stone of Scone will be transported by a team of experts once the date of the Coronation is known.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which manages the castle, will arrange for it to be taken to Westminster Abbey.
The Stone of Scone also known as the coronation stone has been used as a seat for the crowning of new monarchs for hundreds of years.
When Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 at Westminster Abbey, her throne sat above the stone.
After being a symbol of Scottish monarchy for centuries, it was seized by English forces led by King Edward I in 1296 and taken to Westminster Abbey, where it was built into his throne to show that Edward, known as the ‘Hammer of the Scots’, had conquered Scotland.
There it remained for hundreds of years until it was ‘reclaimed’ by Scottish Nationalists in 1950.
On Christmas Day, four Scottish students led a daring raid into Westminster Abbey and brought the stone back to Scotland.
The Duke of York handing over the Royal Warrant for the safe keeping of the Stone of Destiny to the then Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth in 1996.
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