Slide 2

Many different locations have felt blessed with Andrew’s presence. For that
reason, he is the patron saint of many places, including 6 countries – Barbados,
Romania, Russia, Scotland, Spain and Ukraine. St Andrew is also the patron
saint of fishermen, singers and pregnant women and is believed to offer
protection against sore throats and gout.
Slide 3
St Andrew was born between 5 and 10 AD in Bethsaida in Galilee, in what is
now Israel. Throughout his life, St Andrew travelled far and wide preaching
Jesus’ teachings, and his influence endured long after his death. For this reason,
many places have a personal connection with St Andrew and claim him as their
patron saint.
Slide 4
In truth, no one knows for certain how the purple-flowered thistle rose to such
lofty significance. But one legend has it a sleeping party of Scots warriors were
saved from ambush by an invading Norse army when one of the enemies trod
on the spiky plant. His anguished cry roused the slumbering warriors who duly
vanquished he invader and adopted the thistle as their national symbol. Of
course, there is not a shred of evidence to support this account, but it certainly
makes a good story.
Slide 5
These proud, restless creatures are independent and famously difficult to
capture or conquer, which will sound familiar to anyone who has read their
Scottish history. Even though unicorns are mythological, Scots have always felt
drawn to what they represent.
Slide 6
An interesting thing to note is that Scottish unicorns are always shown with
gold chains wrapped around them. Why? Although we don’t know for sure, it’s
believed that this was a way of showing the power of Scottish kings – that only
they had the strength to tame the untameable.

Slide 7
Coats of Arms were originally used for military purposes and consisted of an
actual coat bearing a distinctive design which was worn over a suit of armour.
This enabled the knight to be recognised. The design was also displayed on his
shield. As the military use of Coats of Arms declined they were adopted for
civilian purposes on seals and to identify property. At the moment, as an official
symbol, the Scottish coat of arms is practically not used anywhere and remains
primarily an interesting heraldic element that tells about the glorious moments
of Scotland's history.
Slide 8
There is no official anthem in Scotland. Several songs (both folk songs and
those written by modern musicians) claim the title of unofficial anthem. One
such song is "Scotland the Brave" (by Cliff Handley), but almost no one knows
the words. The song "The Flower of Scotland" by the folk group The Corries,
recorded in 1967 by Roy Williamson, can be considered a national anthem. This
is the song that is played when the Scottish rugby team takes the field. You can
listen to an anthem! Click
Thank you for your attention!