Editing Stone of Scone (section)

==Missing fragments==
In January 2024, a fragment of the stone, previously thought to have been lost, was found in a cupboard at the headquarters of the [[Scottish National Party]]. According to Scottish cabinet papers released on 1 January, the fragment was given to the then first minister [[Alex Salmond]] in 2008 by the son of [[John MacCormick]], who had been involved in the removal of the stone from Westminster Abbey. [[John Elvidge|Sir John Elvidge]], who was [[Permanent Secretary]] to the Cabinet at the time, told Salmond that he could keep the fragment. Salmond then passed it to the SNP for safekeeping.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pollock |first=Laura |date=5 January 2024 |title=Missing piece of Stone of Destiny 'in cupboard at SNP HQ' |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/24031357.missing-piece-stone-destiny-in-cupboard-snp-hq/ |access-date=5 January 2024 |work=The National}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Tom |title=Alex Salmond's piece of Stone of Destiny 'found in cupboard at SNP HQ' |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24035854.alex-salmonds-piece-stone-destiny-found-cupboard-snp-hq/ |access-date=9 January 2024 |work=The Herald |date=8 January 2024 |location=Glasgow |page=6 |language=en}}</ref>

Historic Environment Scotland subsequently carried out tests on the fragment, which established it was genuine "beyond reasonable doubt". In May 2024, it was announced that the fragment would be held by the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia "on behalf of the Nation and the people of Scotland".<ref>{{cite news |title=Stone of Destiny fragment 'genuine beyond reasonable doubt' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72pvlmqnz2o |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=BBC News |date=17 May 2024}}</ref>

In January 2025, the [[BBC]] reported that a search was in progress for "up to 30" further missing fragments. These fragments were separated from the stone while it was being repaired shortly after the 1950 theft. Robert Gray, who oversaw the repair, passed them to the students who carried out the theft, as well as to "those he admired in the campaign for Scottish independence". The search is being undertaken by [[Sally Foster]] from the [[University of Stirling]]; she has so far been able to confirm the locations of four of them.<ref>{{cite news |title=Project traces fate of Stone of Destiny fragments |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79d120x2pzo |access-date=17 January 2025 |work=BBC News |date=17 January 2025}}</ref>