The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Raid mastermind happy to see stone in Scotland
Ian Hamilton has no strong views on where in Scotland the stone calls its home
His daring raid on Westminster Abbey has become the stuff of legend and reinvigorated a hunger for Scottish independence.
Ian Hamilton described his group’s capture of the Stone of Destiny in 1950 as a “liberation”, not a theft, and looks back on the episode as a symbolic show of national pride.
But nearly 70 years on, and Mr Hamilton has said he is finished fighting for the Stone of Scone.
The 93-year-old said he would be happy to see the ancient treasure returned to Perthshire, but would prefer to stay out of the ongoing debate on its future home.
“As long as it stays in Scotland, that’s all I care about it,” he said.
The Courier is campaigning for the artefact to move to Perth, to become the centrepiece of a new £23 million city centre museum.
Perth and Kinross Council launched its bid for the stone three years ago, claiming the iconic sandstone block could help bring in hundreds of thousands of new visitors to the Fair City.
Historic Environment Scotland launched a counterbid to keep the Stone at Edinburgh Castle.
The Scottish Government has launched a six-week consultation on the move and is urging the public to have its say.
Mr Hamilton, who was the ringleader of the famous Christmas Day Westminster operation, insisted he does not have strong feelings about where the Stone ends up.
“I’m not the keeper of the Stone of Destiny,” he said.
“I don’t really care what happens to it as long as it doesn’t leave Scotland. As long as Betty Windsor and her family don’t get their hands on it.
“I’m certainly not against it coming to Perth, but I want to remain neutral about this.”
He said: “Seventy years ago it was a symbol, but we don’t need symbols now, because we’ve very nearly got the reality of Scottish independence.”
Mr Hamilton wrote a book about his leading role in the Westminster Abbey raid, which was turned into a film in 2008.