Historic day as saint's relic opened for first time in nearly 80 years

Archaeology student Lauren Gill had to get permission from the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh to analyse a small part of Queen Margaret's shoulder bone – the only part of her remains left in the world – which was 3D scanned by an expert from Cardiff Met University.

The University of Glasgow pupil admitted that she didn't sleep at the thought at how big a deal this was!

Lauren is hoping to find out a bit more about the famous saint, who, according to legend, died of a broken heart just a few days after her beloved husband Malcolm III died on the battlefield, and how 21st century people respond to relics.

The whole event on Tuesday was documented by official church records, which will sit alongside papers that are in Latin from centuries ago.

She told the Press: "It's special. I think the first time I held it was special to hold this part of history.

"I did have a couple of nightmares about dropping it and the week before I was very nervous!

"It's a privilege to be able to do this and I was very pleasantly surprised that Father Chris Heenan (St Margaret's parish priest) put so much faith in me.

"It was a very out there request and it's great to meet a group of people that are interested in this as much as I am.

"Straightaway we can she was a small lady but that's what we expect from someone of her generation. She was very pious so she fasted a lot, so it does make sense that her bones are fairly small.

"But there's not much we can determine from just a shoulder bone."

After the 3D scan, Laura will be making a model of the bone to look as real as possible and then perform an experiment in phenomenology, the philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness. As people will be able to handle the piece, she will see what they are drawn to and then compare that to how relics would have been venerated originally.

The model will then be given to St Margaret's Memorial RC Church and will be shown at school trips.

Local historian Jack Pryde said: "We're very good at hiding our stories in Scotland but this today is history in itself!

"Margaret is Scotland's only female saint and she was Queen but she is not as well known as she should be and had a huge influence on this country.

"She created the first Queensferrry crossing so pilgrims could get to St Andrews.

"We have her cave she made for her own private worship because she didn't really get on with the monks!

"She changed the face of the church to make it more most pious, she looked after the poor and orphans.

"She had six sons that went on to be the Kings of Scotland and changed the court, so they ate with cutlery for the first time!

"She made beautiful clothes, she traded with Europe for goods and food, so Dunfermline was very early on into the European market!

"She was quite an amazing person who changed the social life of Scotland.

"The important thing for Dunfermline is that this is pilgrim country and a tourism industry. The Pilgrim Way is about to open, and we're well placed to embrace this."

Up until the 1970s, thousands of pilgrims came to Dunfermline every year to see the St Margaret relic which was housed in a convent.

When Margaret was canonised in 1225, her remains were reinterred in a shrine at Dunfermline Abbey, but after the Reformation, her remains were dispersed across Europe and subsequently disappeared.

The only relic left was brought back to Dunfermline in 2008, the place where she wanted to be buried.

Fr Heenan said: "The relic has not been taken out in 80 years, so it was a bit scary but thankfully it went well!

"Saint Margaret is a great inspiration, she helped people whatever their needs were, brought this country up to date and it all came from her love for God.

"It's very special that the relic is back here. We're planning to have a little exhibition in the future.

"It's a great story and we have people all over the world who want to come here to see for themselves."