Alongside scottish tartan, the thistle is the most identifiable symbols of all things Scottish, but how did a beautiful but common weed become the national symbol of such a lovely and proud race of people...Well the scottish thistle may only be a humble weed, but it is the emblem of the Scottish nation. The prickly leaved, pink or purple flowered Scotch thistle is, along with tartan, one the most identifiable symbol of all things Scottish. The legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the attackers trod on a thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm, the roused Scots duly defeated the invaders, and the thistle was adopted as the symbol of Scotland. Unfortunately, there is no historical evidence for this, but Scots, like other nations, love a good story. If you keep your eyes peeled and you will see the thistle emblem cropping up all over Scotland, from the international rugby team’s strip to businesses and organisations to the emblems of police constabularies and football teams. _______________________________________ #Scottish #Scotland #Edingburgh #instashotz #yourShotz #nature #culture #Wanderlust #exploreEdingburgh #cameragear #ig_world #madebyScotland #instaworld #Scottishthistle #photographer #photos #Highlanders #loves_scotland (at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh)