The national symbols of Scotland include the coat of arms and flag (attributes of power), bagpipes (musical instruments), unicorns (animals painted on the arms), tartans (the fabric from which kilts are sewn), thistles (found on banknotes) and the real Scottish character stories - Apostle Andrew.
Therefore, all of the above characters can be attributed to very real things. But the fact is that many citizens of Scotland created imaginary features around these objects - they thought up and came up with various stories, without changing the history of their origin.
Symbol of Scotland - Thistle
This prickly weed is endowed with the semi-official power of a symbol in this country. According to history, it was the thistle in 990 that saved the army of King Kenneth II from certain death. The Scots slept soundly and did not expect an attack at night. The Dans wanted to kill everyone, but one of the warriors stepped barefoot on a thorny weed and woke the whole camp with his cry. The Scottish army quickly woke up, as a result, the enemy army was defeated. This weed turned out to be a thistle, and the Scots decided that it was to him that they owed their victory, and not at all to the courage and strength of the soldiers.
The thistle - a symbol of Scotland - is depicted on many coins, emblems and emblems, sold in souvenir shops and grows in the fields. For the first time, a prickly shrub was used as an emblem in 1470. And in 1687, the Order of the Thistle was even created, which includes members of the royal family. Members of the order wear chains of gold. The links of this decoration are made of thistle. Their motto is: "No one will make me angry with impunity."
Scotland Symbol - Flag
The next attribute of this country is St. Andrew's flag. We know him as a symbol of the Russian Navy. Only the flag of Scotland has a blue background, a cross is white, and our maritime flag has the opposite colors. There is also an unofficial attribute of power in this northern country - a red lion depicted on a yellow background. It is often used as the second national symbol of Scotland, although it is not approved by British law.
Symbol of Scotland - coat of arms
Before England and Scotland united, the coat of arms looked completely different. Some elements disappeared over time, and now only the lion recalls the former Scottish independence.
Symbol of Scotland - whiskey and tartan
Scotch whiskey is a special cult. This drink is sold almost everywhere. You can also watch the production process, taste various varieties and more.
Now about tartan. This is a special ornament on the fabric and one of the types of weaving wool that is used when sewing national clothes: kilts, scarves and much more. Now the first thing that is associated with Scotland is the tartan cage. And there were times when the British, in an effort to destroy all the symbols of Scottish life, banned tartan.
“Nemo me impune lacessit” - “No one will touch me with impunity.” This motto of Scotland is not just a hymn to the thistle, but it speaks of alertness and resentment. It is possible that the Scots with their bagpipes and kilts are defending themselves from the British, who always wanted to break them. And all these challenging attributes are the same thorns as a plant from the aster family.
