SCOTLAND ' S NATIONAL EMBLEM

How, you may ask, did such a thorny flower become a national emblem ?

Well, so the story goes, a very long time ago when Scotland was ravaged by Viking invaders,

a group of Scottish fighting men were resting overnight in a field.

Unknown to them, a raiding party was preparing to attack this group of Scots, under cover of darkness.

and, of course, let out cries of pain as the thorns dug deep into the soles and toes.

The Scots, having been awakened by this rammy, were able to fight off the attackers.

So, from that day , the Thistle has been adopted as Scotland ' s National Emblem.

( Well, can you think of a better explanation ! )

Nowadays, the Thistle is widely used to signify the " Scottishness " of countless products,
services, organisations, etc., and can be seen everywhere.