How did this thorny Thistle flower become the national emblem of Scotland?
Answer — That Scottish Thistle saved the lives of a whole army of Scots from being slaughtered while they slept. What better reason could you have!
An unusual wildlife topic.
In introducing the section on wildlife of Scotland we could not resist producing a page on the thistle — the national emblem of Scotland setting out why this rather prickly tough looking plant should be honoured in such a way.
The thistle plant grows wild all over Scotland with some 200 variations in growing all over the northern hemisphere. (One variety in the USA — known appropriately as the "Tall Thistle" — grows to a height of ten foot. However most other varieties of the Thistle grow to a height of only one to three foot.)
Thistle plants are tough wildlife with virtually no grazing animals eating them due to the very sharp spines and needles. However some animals such as a donkey will nip off the flower heads and enjoy them without touching the sharp needles.
Why make the thistle a national Emblem?
According to legend in 1263 one army led by King Haakon of Norway slipped ashore at Largs during the night hoping to take the Scots by surprise whilst they were still asleep prior to a battle planned for the following day.
In order to be able to move more quietly towards the sleeping Scots the invaders removed their footwear. Unfortunately for them that night they met up with something else hiding in the darkness. One of the invaders stood on a thistle and cried out in pain as the thorns went deep into his bare feet.
The Scots having been awakened by the cries arose and were able to fight driving the invaders back into the North Sea.
To honour the thistle plant that had so decisively saved their lives the Scots adopted the Thistle as their national symbol. Some two hundred years later James III put the thistle on silver coins in 1470.
Click to discover also the Order of the Thistle an ancient title first awarded in 1540 by the Scottish King.
The Declaration of Arbroath is one of the most famous
statements of independence throughout the world.
Every Scot knows the Declaration of Arbroath written in 1320 is one of the greatest statements of human rights ever written (although some would say the Magna Carta in 1215 was coming a close second).
Many experts say the Arbroath Declaration was the model used when the new American nation was drawing up its own Declaration of Independance some 456 years later. This is a very plausible statement as the majority of the new Governors were from Scots descent and knew the importance of what it had done for the people of Scotland.
"As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any condition be brought under English domination. It is in truth not for glory, nor for riches, nor for honour that we are fighting, but only and alone for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life.
"
The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 did not end the fighting between Scotland and England. 
The Bruce (the Scottish king as he was known by many) continued to invade northern England inflicting great damage. The problem was the current then Pope still did recognise Scotland as an independant nation and in a strongly Catholic Scotland that meant a lot. Some historians have claimed that one of the strongest reasons for this refusal was Robert Bruce’s murder of John Comyn (his main rival to the throne). As the murder had taken place inside of an Abbey the Pope had felt it proper to excommunicate Bruce (althrough I still do not understand why a murder on holy ground of a church building should be any worse than one committed a mile away).
In fact the Pope went stronger than simply not recognising Scottish independance he threatened to excommunicate the whole nation if they did not recognise the English King Edward as their own King. The King and his nobles gathered together at Arbroath to write this petition to the pope to change his view suggesting that any refusal by time would lead to even more death and they would be on the Popes shoulders.
Signed by all 38 Scottish Nobles the petition was successful although it was not until 1328 that the Treaty of Northampton was finally signed Bruce and Edward III recognising Scotland as a separate nation fully independant of England. The treaty was sealed with the marriage of Bruce to Edwards sister Joanna leaving Bruce free to concentrate on rebuilding his nation into relative prosperity and peace.
However the toil of fighting for so many years had ruined his health and in his later years he was constantly subject to bouts of illness. He died in Cardross (now part of Dunbartonshire) although his body was then taken east to be buried in Dunfermline Abbey. However on his instructions his heart was removed and taken in a casket by Sir James Douglas to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage.
The heart of Bruce was then returned to Scotland and buried in Melrose Abbey . Later in 1921 a small lead casket containing a human heart was found buried in the grounds of the Abbey. This was assumed to be the heart of Robert Bruce.
Read the full Declaration of Arbroath in English or in the original Latin .
