Vandalism at Cambuskenneth Abbey
An incident of vandalism took place at Cambuskenneth Abbey, near Stirling, at the weekend involving damage to the stone which once covered the grave of James III.
A piece of the stone, which had already been cracked in a similar incident earlier in the year, has now been split completely in two.
The tomb cover has been in pieces for many years but is a valuable part of Scotland’s cultural history.
Richard Welander, Historic Scotland head of collections, said: “We regret that vandalism has caused further damage to the already fragmentary remains of the blue marble stone which was once the cover for the tomb of King James III.
“Earlier this year one of the pieces had been cracked and, following an incident last Sunday, it has now been broken in two.
“The stone, which used to be in the nave of the ruined abbey church has been kept on the ground floor of the bell tower for many years in order to keep it as safe as possible while still allowing visitors to see an interesting and significant piece of Scottish history.
“We have reported the latest incident to the police and would encourage anyone with information to contact them so appropriate action can be taken.”