The theft of the Stone of Destiny following a Christmas Day break-in to Westminster Abbey in 1950 made headlines worldwide.
The reappearance of the crowning stone of Kings the following spring on the altar at Arbroath Abbey turned a sensation into an enduring legend, and helped give momentum to a still nascent SNP.
Ian Hamilton may not have realised it at the time, but his role in the heist would come to be the defining moment of his life.
His death at 97, just weeks after that of the Queen, the last monarch to have been crowned sitting on the stone, is a sad moment.
The Stone will be taken on a journey back to Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III in the coming months.
But its home is now permanently back in Scotland.
It is currently on display alongside the Scottish crown jewels at Edinburgh Castle, but it will soon move to Perth as the centrepiece of the new multi-million-pound City Hall redevelopment.
🪨🏴 Listen to Ian Hamilton re-tell the story of how he, Gavin Vernon, Alan Stuart and Kay Matheson returned the Stone of Destiny to Scotland after a daring break-in of Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve 1950.
🎥 Video from the BBC: https://t.co/VxajU0kM49 pic.twitter.com/SrDnTnNgMT
— The SNP (@theSNP) October 4, 2022
The day that exhibition opens will be a proud one for everyone associated with Perth and Scone.
Without Ian Hamilton and his merry band, it may never have happened.
The legacy of their actions one winter night more than 70 years ago will continue to resonate for generations to come.
Conversation