In December 2017, a Viking age runestone dating back to the 11th-century AD began its journey to a new home.

The ancient stone has been in a mostly forgotten corner of Princes Street Gardens, under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, and in an inaccessible area used for the Royal Military Tattoo stands.

After 3D scanning and some conservation work, it is being moved to George Square, where it will sit proudly outside the University of Edinburgh’s School of Scandinavian Studies.

It was donated to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland by one of its earliest Fellows, Sir Alexander Seton, arriving in Edinburgh in 1787. It is believed to be one of only three runestones of its kind in the UK.

Edinburgh World Heritage are proud to be supporting this project, along with Heritage Lottery Fund. This short video shows the progress of the project so far:

Find out more about the runestone and how it came to be in Edinburgh on the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s website.