Bring stone home, say nationalists

Scottish nationalists last night attacked the Government's decision to keep the Stone of Destiny in Edinburgh Castle, despite pleas for its return to its historic home of Scone. The Earl of Mansfield, a former Tory minister at the Scottish Office whose family have lived in Scone for generations, joined in the criticism and said he might raise the matter in the Lords in the autumn.

"I do not think Edinburgh Castle is a very suitable place for the Stone, although a lot of tourists go there," he said. "The Stone has nothing to do with the castle. It is a religious symbol, and always has been, and I think it should be placed in a place of reverence."

Clare Garner