The Scottish Thistle

The thistle may only be a humble weed, but it is both beautiful and the emblem of the Scottish nation. The prickly-leaved, pink or purple-flowered ‘Scotch’ Thistle is, along with tartan, perhaps the most identifiable symbol of all things Scottish. But how did the thistle earn its place in the proud hearts of the Scots?

Legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading band of Vikings when one of the attackers trod on a thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm, the roused Scots duly defeated the Danes, and the thistle was adopted as the symbol of Scotland.

Scotland's premier Order of Chivalry, established in 1687, is The Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle and its members wear a collar chain whose links are made of golden thistles.

‘A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle’ by Hugh MacDiarmid, published in 1926, is one of the most famous works by a Scottish poet. The long and winding poem, in which MacDiarmid contemplates the state of the nation, varies in tone between mysterious, lyrical, serious and comic. It is essential reading for a visit to Scotland.