Pledge to restore demolished 16th Scone Palace archway

Oct 1 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

“THIS iconic emblem has stood at Scone for five centuries and we hope that after restoration it will be here for many more.”

That was the pledge made yesterday by the administrator at Scone Palace as work got underway to deal with the disastrous demolition of a priceless 16th Century archway on Monday afternoon.

Just a heap of rubble was left after the archway on the approach to the Augustinian Abbey which once stood on the Palace lawn was hit by a van being driven by contractors.

No one was injured in the accident and public access to the palace and grounds has remained unaffected.

Also unaffected will be the Rally of Scotland. Top drivers who were to have driven under the archway at the spectacular start at Scone Palace on the night of Friday, October 15, will instead motor past the remaining stone pillars, made safe by experts in conservation projects.

Work on that first phase of the reconstruction project started yesterday and is expected to take up to a week, assuming weather conditions remain favourable, explained Elspeth Bruce, administrator at Scone Palace.

“The special stage of the Rally of Scotland, scheduled to take place at the Palace on October 15, is therefore expected to go ahead as planned,” she said.

The team is being led by John Addison of Addison Conservation and Design, Midlothian. Other specialists include conservation architects James F Stephen of Glamis and Perth-based T&M Stonemasonry.

All of the companies have significant past experience of working on heritage projects.

Ms Bruce continued: “The main reconstruction phase of the project will be the subject of a full tendering process.

“We are extremely grateful for all the support and assistance we’ve received over the last few days from agencies including Historic Scotland’s conservation team and Perth and Kinross planning department.

“Their advice has been, and will continue to be, invaluable as we begin the painstaking work of restoring the archway to its former glory.”

l The manager of the company whose driver under-estimated the height of the archway expressed sincere regret at the incident.

The driver worked for Colliston Castle Scotland Ltd in Arbroath and had been collecting a marquee from the palace grounds after the Perth Hunt ball.