Queen Camilla marked the Edinburgh garden party on July 1 by wearing Queen Mary's Diamond Thistle Brooch, a historic piece of royal jewellery featuring Scotland's national emblem. The Queen chose the ...

Thistle head decorated pins have been found in Dark Age sites across south-west Scotland demonstrating that the thistle emblem goes back a long way in Scotland. (©DGNHAS / GUARD Archaeology Ltd) ...

One night, one barefoot invading soldier stood on a thistle and alerted the Scots with his screams. No wonder this plant has been the Scottish national emblem since the 1200s.

Ever since, the thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland. This fire brazier pays homage to that humble flower.

There is much obscurity as to the circumstances under which the thistle was adopted as its emblem by the Scottish nation, but the following is a tradition: Queen Scotia had led her troops in a ...

The Scottish thistle--said to be one of the most ancient badges on record--next claims our attention. The following legend accounts for its adoption as the emblem of Scotland.