TORONTO - Actor Stephen McCole says it was an utter thrill to recreate a piece of Scottish history in "Stone of Destiny," which is set to close the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.

"It sent shivers up my spine," the affable McCole said Friday, hours after landing in the city to promote the project.

The movie tells the true story of four Glasgow university students who broke into Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve 1950 and successfully stole the stone -- a symbol of Scottish nationhood -- from beneath the coronation chair.

It was the first time in some five decades that filmmakers had been allowed to shoot in the historic London church.

And Ian Hamilton, the real-life instigator of the heist, was on set to describe how it all went down.

"To walk through there with Ian Hamilton, being told, 'This is exactly the place where I dropped the crowbar, this is exactly the place where I dragged the stone,' to actually walk through there in the dead of night with no one else around ... it was a great, great, moment," said McCole.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that."

The slab of red sandstone, which is also known as the Stone of Scone (pronounced "scoon") and weighs almost 152 kilograms, is said to have been used in the coronation of ancient Scottish monarchs. In 1296 it was seized by Edward I and taken to Westminster Abbey.

The students, who were arrested but never prosecuted, were ultimately forced to return the stone to authorities, but in 1996 it was returned to Scotland where it is on loan until the next coronation.

Rumours persist, however, that the stone returned to police after the student heist is a copy of the original.

The film, though rich with historical detail, ultimately comes off as a rollicking caper flick as Hamilton (Charlie Cox) and his cohorts (played by McCole, Kate Mara and Ciaron Kelly) map out their plan. The film also features veteran Scottish actor Robert Carlyle as a university rector who helps the students.

Glasgow-based McCole, 34, says he had minimal knowledge of the Stone of Destiny before reading the script.

"We got taught it at school, but like most things that we get taught at school, it goes in one ear and out the other. It wasn't taught with the great deal of importance that it probably should be taught with," he said.

"I knew nothing about these four students that had stolen it. When I got wind of this story and got a hold of the script, it blew me away."

Co-star Kelly also had limited knowledge of the story.

"Quite ashamedly, when my agent said, 'I've got a script for you, it's called 'Stone of Destiny,' I asked if it was a fantasy film," said the 20-year-old actor, who makes his big-screen debut in the film.

He laughs: "I'll probably get lynched for (saying that) as soon as I go back to Glasgow."

Both actors agreed it was a great help to be able to consult Hamilton, whose book, "The Taking of the Stone of Destiny," formed the basis for the screenplay.

It was a heavy responsibility portraying the life of a real person, said McCole, adding he's been gratified by positive comments he's received from people who knew his character, Gavin Vernon.

Vernon, incidentally, lived in Canada for many years after the heist. He died a few years ago, but McCole was hoping to meet his widow at Saturday night's premiere.

"I'm really excited about that to see what she thinks of the movie," he said.

"Everybody should know who these guys are and what they did, you know? It was a massive, massive thing."

"The Stone of Destiny" is due in Canadian theatres next February.