Pride of the Scotts

Alongside tartan, the thistle is perhaps the most identifiable symbols of all things Scottish, but how did a beautiful but common weed become the national symbol of such a proud race of people?

In truth, no-one knows, but legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the attackers trod on a thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm, the roused Scots duly defeated the invaders, and the thistle was adopted as the symbol of Scotland. Unfortunately, there is no historical evidence for this, but Scots, like other nations, love a good story.