Today in 1296 the Scottish Coronation Stone, the Stone of Destiny, was removed from Scone Abbey.

The stone was taken on the orders of King Edward I of England, and was transported to Westminster Abbey, where it was used to crown English monarchs until it was returned to Scotland in 1996. The stone itself is a block of red sandstone, and was said to have been used by Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel, as a pillow.

On 8 August 1503 King James IV of Scotland married Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII of England.

The wedding was christened the Marriage of the Thistle and the Rose, and was designed to creata stable relations between the two feuding kingdoms.

In the coming century it was also to form the basis from which the Stewarts made claim to the English crown.

Today's recipe: Zupfe loaf is traditional Swiss bread best served at brunch.