The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (2024)

  • Jump to main content
  • Jump to main navigation

Cookies

We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them or accept our recommended settings. Using this tool will set a cookie on your device to remember your preferences.

Options

Your preferences have been set. If you wish to change your preferences, you may do so on our cookies page.

National Trust for Scotland
Search My Trust
Join now

Join

Close

Looking for places? Use our place search to find them by name, town or postcode.

See all stories

Written by Rheanna-Marie Hall

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (5)

The thistle is the flower of Scotland and one of its most recognisable symbols. Since King Alexander III, it has been Scotland’s national emblem.

A legendary story

No-one is truly sure of how the thistle came to be Scotland’s national flower. A well-known story though attributes the thistle being chosen as the emblem of Scotland to the Battle of Largs (a coastal town in Ayrshire) in the 13th century. A Norse army journeyed to Scotland, intent on conquering the land. The legend has it that they left their ships under cover of night, and were planning to ambush the sleeping Scottish Clansmen. In order to be as quiet as possible, the Norsemen had removed their shoes. However as they crept across the countryside, one of them stepped onto a thorny thistle. His cry of pain roused the Scots, and the warriors rose up and defeated the invaders.

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (6)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (7)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (8)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (9)

Quote

“The thistle of Scotland is the oldest recorded national flower.”

History

Silver coins in Scotland and later Britain have long featured a thistle, and the first coins to do so were as early as 1474, issued by King James III in Scotland.The most recent design to feature the thistle plant was the British 5p coin (which stopped being minted in 2008), which was impressed with ‘The Badge of Scotland, a thistle royally crowned’.

In 1687 King James VII and II founded the Order of the Thistle. Its heraldic emblem was, of course, the thistle. Its full title is the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, and it is an order of chivalry, the highest honour Scotland can bestow on an individual. The motto of the Order, Nemo me impune lacessit, ‘No one provokes me with impunity’, pairs well with the prickly thistle which cannot be picked without difficulty.

The symbol of the thistle can also be seen in combination with other national flowers and symbols. Below is a flag gifted to Falkland Palace in 1950, to mark the 300-year history of the Scots Guards. The emblem represents the Crown and the rank of Colonel, showing the Scottish thistle, English rose and Irish shamrock with the words Unita Fortior, ‘stronger in unity’. The military colours were presented to George VI when he was Colonel-in-Chief of the Scots Guards from 1932–7.

Read more: Flags flying again at Falkland Palace

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (10)

Image of the thistle, rose and shamrock with motto

The thistle flower

Thistles can be found right across Scotland, from the Lowlands to the Highlands, and even on the islands! There are a number of different types which grow in the UK, and a variety of thistles can be found in the wild around Scotland, the most common being the spear thistle, the creeping thistle, and the marsh thistle.

It is the native spear thistle, Cirsium vulgare, which is thought to have been used as the national emblem. They are abundant in Scotland, and the imagery on coins, flags and other symbols through history closely matches this particular variety.

There is another type of thistle known as the ‘Scotch thistle’ or cotton thistle, Onopordum acanthium, but this is non-native. It was likely introduced from Europe sometime before the 16th century, and is most abundant in the United States of America and Australia.

Spotter’s Guide: Wildflowers

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (11)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (12)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (13)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (14)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (15)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (16)

Different varieties of thistle can be seen at our countryside and garden properties across Scotland, such as Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve.

At Mar Lodge Estate, where over 600 plant species have been recorded, since 2018 a rare plant conservation project has been underway for two species which are at risk of extinction in Scotland. One of these is the alpine blue sow thistle (Cicerbita alpina). At Mar Lodge it can be seen growing beside the more traditional-looking varieties of thistle, here a melancholy thistle, Cirsium heterophyllum.

Read more: Positive prospects for precarious plants

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (17)

Alpine blue sow thistle alongside melancholy thistle

A popular symbol

The thistle is now well ingrained into the cultural identity of Scotland, and you can find it everywhere. Amongst other things, it is the logo of Scottish Rugby, adorns the crest of Scotland’s national football team, is a core component of the Police Scotland logo, and is a popular choice for any number of Scottish businesses.

For visitors to Scotland, a keepsake decorated with a thistle flower is often a must-have!

Thistle plant extract can also be found in beauty products, particularly soaps and face creams, as in recent years it has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties and be a beneficial ingredient in skincare.

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (18)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (19)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (20)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (21)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (22)The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (23)

Stay in touch

Be the first to hear about our latest news, get inspiration for great days out and learn about the work we do for the love of Scotland.

Sign up now

Read next

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (24)

The unicorn – Scotland’s national animal

In Scotland we’re known for our love of legends, from ghosts and witches to giant water monsters. But how did the magical unicorn become our national animal?

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (25)

Scottish storytelling traditions

2022 is Scotland’s Year of Stories! Learn more about some of Scotland’s most famous storytellers and enjoy some of the best Scottish folktales.

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (26)

Love Scotland podcast – Season 10

Welcome to the tenth season of the Trust’s podcast, which explores some thrilling stories about Scotland’s people and places.

The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (27)

Archaeological dig at Culloden Battlefield

Combining traditional tools and cutting-edge technology, archaeologists and volunteers have begun a remarkable dig at Culloden Battlefield.

Read more stories on

  • History and archaeology
  • Nature
Back to top
The thistle – Scotland’s national flower (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Nathanial Hackett

Last Updated:

Views: 6329

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nathanial Hackett

Birthday: 1997-10-09

Address: Apt. 935 264 Abshire Canyon, South Nerissachester, NM 01800

Phone: +9752624861224

Job: Forward Technology Assistant

Hobby: Listening to music, Shopping, Vacation, Baton twirling, Flower arranging, Blacksmithing, Do it yourself

Introduction: My name is Nathanial Hackett, I am a lovely, curious, smiling, lively, thoughtful, courageous, lively person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.