The Parliament's Presiding Officer, Sir David Steel MSP, will officially hand over the mace to the Museum on Monday (July 19). It will form a focal point of the 'All our oure Soverane Lordis Liegis' (sic) The Parliaments of Scotland Exhibition until its return to the Parliament's custody on August 25.

There will be a photo-call to mark the handover at the Museum on Monday at 1200 hours.

Media should report to Susan Gray, Museum Press Officer, at the Information Desk, Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh.

There will also be interview opportunities.

The mace will be displayed in a secure glass case at the entrance to The Parliaments of Scotland exhibition.

BACKGROUND NOTE

The mace is used to signify that a meeting of the Parliament is taking place. It will have a formal, ceremonial role in all future meetings of the Parliament.

At the start of each meeting, the mace is carried in to the Chamber by one of the Parliament staff, ahead of the Presiding Officer, and placed on a table in front of the Presiding Officer and clerks. Members stand at their places until the mace has been placed and the Presiding Officer has taken his seat. The procedure is followed in reverse at the end of each meeting, but not during any adjournment.

The mace was designed and crafted by Michael Lloyd, a renowned silversmith who has a studio in south-west Scotland. He was chosen from a group of 10 Scottish silversmiths invited to submit initial ideas for the design of a mace that were both contemporary and distinctive to Scotland.

The mace is constructed of Scottish silver with an inlaid band of gold panned from Scottish rivers. The gold band is intended to symbolise the marriage of the Parliament, the land and the people.

The words "Wisdom, Justice, Compassion, Integrity" are woven into thistles at the head of the mace to represent the aspirations of the Scottish people for the Members of their Parliament. The head of the mace is surrounded by the words "There shall be a Scottish Parliament - Scotland Act 1998". (detail of head of mace)