Stone of Destiny

Viva Scotia
This is a great movie about nationalism and trying to right a wrong of history. The Stone of Destiny deals with idealistic university students driven by a strong sense of nationalism devise a plan to steal back the famed Stone of Scone from the English. With high hopes, little money and a sketchy plan, they set off for London to break into Westminster Abbey and grab the coronation stone of Scottish kings. With humour thrown in for good measure, it is an enjoyable film. A good cast makes the film work: Charlie Cox (The Merchant of Venice), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Master and Commander, The Flying Scotsman), Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty, Hamish MacBeth), and Kate Mara (We Are Marshall) headline.

Stone of destiny
Stone of destiny is a lovely film, capturing the mood and period well. It's a pity this wasn't a bigger hit at the cinema but it is well worth seeing, especially the scenes at the end which were shot in Arbroath Abbey where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed by Robert the Bruce. (The American Declaration is based on this document).

Heartwarming and exciting without guns or violence - perfect!!

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but.....
It is hard to imagine in the modern UK - blanketed as it is with CCTV, armed police units and security cordons that some students - who drove from Glasgow to London in the middle of the night just before Xmas 1950 - could break into Westminster Abbey, bungle things a few times and still get away with Scotland's ceremonial stone used to crown Scots kings in times past. Innocent times indeed.

The film contains elements of the Keystone Cops - but if you have ever read Ian Hamilton's accounts of the recovery of the Stone of Destiny it was pretty much like the film portrays - even the scene near the end with the travelling people. Perhaps the only thing glossed over was the feeling of gross betrayal when the stone was voluntarily returned and the fact the authorities decided not to risk a trial and lose the case to Ian Hamilton's rather well argued points of law as to why he and his companions had merely...

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