Mary, Queen of Scots' last letter to be displayed after nearly a decade in storage

A letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots hours before her execution in 1587 will go on display for the first time in nearly a decade when it forms part of an exhibition in Perth next year.

- PA Media

Mary wrote what is believed to be her last letter at 2am on 8 February to her brother-in-law Henri III in France to put her affairs in order. She was executed six hours later at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire.

The letter, written in French, is held by the National Library of Scotland and rarely leaves the vaults, primarily for conservation reasons.

It last went on display for a single day at the library in 2017, when queues of people formed along George IV Bridge in Edinburgh to view it.

People will have the opportunity to see it again when it goes on display in Perth Museum as part of an exhibition and programme of events aiming to bring the tragic queen's story to life.

In the letter Mary writes that she is "to be executed like a criminal at eight in the morning", adding: "I scorn death and vow that I meet it innocent of any crime."