The Flower of Scotland

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Anyone who has ever studied Scotland knows that the Thistle is the scottish “National Flower”.
But how did this simple little Plant achieve such a high status?

When it came to violent Clashes in 1263 with the norwegian Kingdom because of territorial claims, the Vikings launched an Invasion.
It is said that the Night before the Battle at Largs on the west Coast of Scotland, the norwegian Warriors want to surprised the scottish Army. Under cover of Darkness, they approached to the Camp crawling. They fell into a meadow full of Thistles. The pain-filled Screams of the Norwegians alarmed the Scots, who were then able to beat the Attackers back. Through this help in the Defense of Scotland, they managed, among other things, on the scottish Version of the british Royal Coat of Arms, in which the scottish national Symbols are in the foreground. It is used by the reigning Monarch if he is in Scotland. The ‘Act of Union’ of 1707 guaranteed that the Royal Coat of Arms used in Scotland would continue to give priority to the Symbols of Scotland.