A white witch has claimed the Stone of Destiny is a “fake” – and probably originated from England.

Kevin Carlyon believes a simple test carried out today with a pendulum has disproved it is an ancient relic which some experts believe dates as far back as biblical times.

The so-called High Priest of British White Witches was warned in advance he would not be able to touch the stone, which is on permanent display at Edinburgh Castle. But he is adamant that the dousing technique he employed under the watchful gaze of Historic Scotland security guards provided all the proof he needed.

Mr Carlyon, who also carried out a “cleansing” service at the ill-fated Edinburgh Dungeon tourist attraction during a visit to the city, admitted his claim could prove controversial, but insisted he had a duty to reveal the “truth” about the stone.

He said today: “I’m afraid it’s a fake. I think it’s almost certainly from England, probably somewhere in the West Country.” Mr Carlyon said his stone pendulum, which has a hole carved in it, picked up vibrations which left him in “no doubt” it was of modern origination. He added: “This isn’t the same one that was taken down to England in 1296, it’s hundreds of years more modern than that, though I can’t be sure exactly how old the one in the Castle is.

“A lot of the legends surrounding the stone actually say it’s a fake. I’m pretty sure that it’s not from the Holy Land and wasn’t the stone stolen from Scotland in the 13th century either."

“I’d say the original stone was probably swapped by the English at some point before it was stolen back in the 1950s. That means the stone taken from Westminster Abbey was almost certainly English.

“I was pretty scientific about the whole thing. The dousing technique is very similar to the one which midwives sometimes use to tell whether an unborn baby is a boy or a girl. It gives you a tingle up your arm – it’s pretty reliable.”

A spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said today it was “confident” that the stone, which is kept inside a glass cabinet in the Crown Room beside the Honours of Scotland, was the one taken south by Edward I in 1296.

According to legend the 152kg sandstone relic, also known as the Stone of Scone, was said to have been used by Jacob as a pillow when he rested his head in Bethel, before eventually being brought to Scotland.

The sandstone relic became the traditional coronation stone of Scottish monarchs until King Edward I took it to Westminster Abbey in 1296.

It was famously stolen by a rogue band of Scottish nationalists on Christmas Day, 1950, and smuggled back to the Scotland, but was repossessed after only four months.

The stone remained in England before being returned to north of the Border by the then Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth in November 1996 and has been in Edinburgh Castle ever since.

Tory MSP Lord James Douglas-Hamilton was also convinced that the Stone of Destiny in Edinburgh Castle was the genuine article.

He added: “Before it came back to Scotland five years ago extensive tests were carried out on the stone by Historic Scotland. They were pretty certain it came from a Perthshire quarry and that it was the one used to crown the kings of Scotland.

“These people have all the relevant expertise and that’s good enough for me,” he said.

However, Lib Dem MSP Donald Gorrie said he was “unconvinced” that the Stone of Destiny was genuine.

“I find it difficult to believe that the kings of Scotland sat on something which does not even have any ornate carvings or anything like it.”

Mr Carlyon, who cast a spell on the new Harry Potter film and put a curse on a Nessie-hunter in the last few months, had earlier carried out an “earth magic” ceremony at the Edinburgh Dungeon in Market Street to banish evil spirits from the building.

The attraction has been dogged with bad luck since its Friday 13th opening in April, including a series of hitches with its Witchfynder ride and a fire alarm going off causing an evacuation during its VIP launch.

Mr Carlyon set up an altar at the stricken boat ride and “invoked” the elements of nature – earth, air, fire and water – during a 20-minute ceremony.

While he is convinced he has cleansed the Witchfynder ride of its demons, he said: fears he may have “opened the door” to other evil spirits lurking in the area.

He said: “I probably shouldn’t have done it to be honest. “I definitely felt a presence. I’m sure there’s some funny things going on, which may have something to do with all the old tunnels which run under the city nearby.”

• Story originally published by:
The Edingburgh Evening News / Scotland | Brian Ferguson - Aug 31.01

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