Scone Palace Approved for £10M Upgrade to Become World-Class Attraction

In a move to bolster Scone Palace's position as a premier tourist destination, the historic site in Perthshire has received approval for a £10M redevelopment plan. The plans, which have been in the works for the past 10 years, were approved by Perth and Kinross councillors on November 6th, 2025.

Viscount William Stormont, the heir to the palace, emphasized the need to make the site more competitive in Scotland's increasingly crowded tourism market, where visitor expectations have risen. The proposed upgrades include transforming the palace's disused stable building into a visitor center with a shop, restaurant, and ticket office. Additionally, the plans call for an adventure play park, a solar meadow with around 2,000 panels, a new car park, and improved cycling and pedestrian links.

While the overall plans were approved, there were some changes from the original application, including the rejection of plans for copper cladding on the stable building. This decision was made despite Viscount Stormont's defense of the "unapologetically modern" extension, as Historic Environment Scotland and the council's Conservation team deemed the copper cladding inappropriate for the historic site.

Scone Palace has played a significant role in Scottish history for over 1,000 years, serving as the site of medieval parliaments and the coronation of monarchs such as Macbeth and Robert the Bruce. The palace, originally an Augustinian abbey, was destroyed in 1559 and later rebuilt in the 1580s, before undergoing further expansions and remodeling in the early 19th century.