Our Collections
Scone Palace is a unique treasury of furniture, porcelain, painting and objets d'art.
Many of the Earls of Mansfield have been avid collectors. The 2nd Earl, in particular, was able to bring a great many fine things to the Palace, collected while an ambassador overseas.
From furniture to clocks, from porcelain to ivories, Scone Palace houses some of the very finest private collections on display anywhere in Great Britain.
Here is a brief introduction to just some of the wonderful artefacts you can see on a visit to the Palace.
The Clocks Collection
There are many very fine clocks on display throughout the Palace. Together, they form an interesting and unusual collection from the 18th and 19th centuries.
The clocks include an Empire Clock by Ledure of Paris; a domed clock by the celebrated horologist Charles Edward Viver of London; a most rare spherical piece depicting Father Time by Pierre Thomire; and a clock with an unusual pendulum movement disguised as a child on a swing.
The Furniture
Scone houses fine furniture by Boulle and Reisener, Robert Adam and Chippendale, amongst others. One of the most beautiful pieces is a writing desk presented to the 2nd Earl by Marie Antoinette, which is now on display in the Drawing Room.
The Lennox Room is rich in pieces with Royal connections including the bedhanging made by Mary Queen of Scots during her imprisonment in Loch Leven Castle, a gateleg oak table said to have belonged to King James VI, and the oak armchair used by Charles II for his coronation.
The Ivories Collection
The fabulous collection of large European ivories came from Bavaria, Italy and France. They were carved in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries in elephant and walrus tusk, and collected mainly by the 4th Earl of Mansfield. They are arranged around the Dining Room of the Palace.
The Orchids
The many beautiful orchids that adorn the State Rooms at Scone Palace are from Lord Mansfield's private orchid collection, which originated in 1971 when the current Earl of Mansfield was given an orchid by his parents as a birthday present.
The Earl now has the largest private orchid collection in the country, totalling over 1,000 plants and there are orchids in flower every day at the Palace.
The Paintings
Scone is a treasure trove of paintings that are on display throughout the Palace. The 1st and 2nd Earls of Mansfield started the collection with works by Van Dyck and Reynolds.
Of particular note are David Wilkie's series of Village Politicians - modest in size but containing so much detail and animation -, the exotic animals painted by the 17th Flemish artist David Teniers, and Zoffany's intriguing portrait of Lady Elizabeth Murray (daughter of the 2nd Earl) with her friend Dido.
The Porcelain Collection
The Library houses a breathtaking collection of fine quality porcelain, collected mainly by the 1st and 2nd Earls. Manufacturers include Meissen, Sevres, Ludwigsburg, Chelsea, Derby and Worcester and the collection is recognised as the finest in any private home in Britain.
The 1st Earl's set of heraldic porcelain, which was made for him prior to 1776 while he was still a baron, was painted in China and bears his motto: Uni Aequus Virtute (Faithful Unto Virtue Alone).
The Vernis Martin Collection
This fabulous collection of papier mache objets d'art was made mostly by the Martin family in 18th century for the King of France. The collection numbers some seventy pieces and is believed to be unique, as the other half of the King of France's collection was bought by the Tsar of Russia and disappeared in 1916.
These exquisitely painted onjects have been mounted, mostly be London goldsmiths, and are on display in the Long Gallery.