Bonnie Prince Charlie's sword to go on display at Perth Museum
It will be the first time the sword has returned to Scotland since it was made in Perth in 1739.
Monday 23 October 2023 11:36, UK
Bonnie Prince Charlie's sword and a rare Jacobite wine glass will go on display when the new Perth Museum opens next year.
On Easter weekend in March, the public will be able to see the solid-silver-hilted broadsword.
It will be the first time the sword has returned to Scotland since it was made in Perth in 1739.
It was made by craftsman James Brown and believed to have been given to Bonnie Prince Charlie by James Drummond, the third Duke of Perth.
The sword would have been an important symbol of Charles Edward Stuart's claim to the Scottish throne while the Jacobite court was in exile in Rome.
The Jacobite wine glass features the Duke of Perth's family motto - "Gang warily".
The Duke of Perth was a key part of the 1745 Jacobite rising, mustering a regiment for Bonnie Prince Charlie's cause.
JP Reid, an officer at Culture Perth & Kinross, said: "We are thrilled to be able to publicly display these two significant pieces of Jacobite history for the first time.
"Perthshire sits at the heart of the Jacobite story: the scene of large-scale pitched battles like Killiecrankie and Sheriffmuir, besieged homes, scorched-earth warfare and warring kinsfolk.
"The Drummonds are key players in the 50 years of uprisings from 1689-1746.
"Three generations of committed Perthshire Jacobites, they gambled and lost everything in their support of the exiled Stuarts."
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Perth Museum will be a £27m redevelopment of the former city hall.
It aims to tell the story of Perth as Scotland's first capital.
Other important objects coming to the new museum include the Stone of Destiny - also known as the Stone of Scone.
Currently kept at Edinburgh Castle, it was historically used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs and it was brought to London for King Charles' coronation earlier this year.
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Charles Kinnoull, chairman of culture at Perth & Kinross, said: "The collections held here in Perth and Kinross are recognised for their national significance and are in constant development.
"The opportunity to bring new objects such as this beautiful Jacobite glass and sword alongside loans from national partners and the existing collections and the Stone of Destiny, all within a stunning new home in the former city hall, is one which I could not be more excited about."