Flag of Scotland*

*Source: Wikipedia

The Saltire, the flag of Scotland, a white saltire with the officially recommended "Pantone 300" coloured field.

The Royal Banner of Scotland, often incorrectly used as an alternative national flag, especially at sporting events.

The flag of Scotland features a white saltire, a crux decussate (X-shaped cross) representing the cross of the Christian martyr Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, on a blue field. It is named the Saltire or the Saint Andrew's Cross. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned Azure, a saltire argent.

The flag of Scotland is one of the oldest flags in the world, traditionally dating back to the 9th century, and is the oldest national flag still in modern use, the oldest state flag being Denmark's Dannebrog.

History

According to legend, King Óengus (II) (or King Angus) led the Picts and Scots in battle against the Angles under King Aethelstan of East Anglia near modern-day Athelstaneford in East Lothian. King Angus and his men were surrounded and he prayed for deliverance. During the night Saint Andrew, who was martyred on a saltire cross, appeared to Angus and assured him of victory. On the following morning a white saltire against the background of a blue sky appeared to both sides. The Picts and Scots were heartened by this, but the Angles lost confidence and were defeated. This saltire design has been the Scottish flag ever since.

Material evidence of the saltire's use dates from somewhat later. In 1385 the Parliament of Scotland decreed that Scottish soldiers should wear the saltire as a distinguishing mark. The earliest surviving Scottish flag consisting solely of the saltire dates from 1503: a white cross on a red background. By 1540 the legend of King Angus had been altered to include the vision of the crux decussata against a blue sky. Thereafter, this saltire design in its present form became the national flag of Scotland.

Flying the flag

Scottish Parliament

The Flag flies alongside the Union Flag and the EU flag at the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh.

There are five flagpoles outside the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh. The Saltire is flown everyday, alongside the Union Flag and the EU Flag. The fourth flagpole is used for special occassions such as Commonwealth Day and United Nations Day. The fifth flag is used for the Royal Standard.

Scottish Executive

The Scottish Executive has decreed that the Flag will fly on all its buildings everyday from 8am until sunset. An exception is made for "national days". On these days, the Saltire shall be lowered and replaced with the Union Flag. These days are the same as the flag days of the United Kingdom with the exception of 3 September (Merchant Navy Day), which is a specific flag day in Scotland.

Another difference with the UK days is that on Saint Andrew's Day, the Union Flag can only be flown if the building has more than one flagpole- the Saltire will not be lowered to makeway for the Union Flag if there is only one flagpole. This difference arose after Members of the Scottish Parliament complained that Scotland was the only country in the world that could not fly its national flag on its national day.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is managed by Historic Scotland, but it still has a military garrison of the British Army. Like all British Army bases, it flies the Union Flag (in ratio 3:5) and the Army flies it everyday from the Clock Tower. The Saltire is flown everyday at the Half Moon Battery.

The flying of the Union Flag at Edinburgh Castle has sometimes caused controversy. In 2001, a group of 20 Scottish National Party MSPs called for the Union Flag to be replaced by the Saltire.

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Others

The Flag can be flown at anytime by any individual, company, local authority, hospital or school. There is no need to have planning permission to fly the flag from a vertical flagpole.

In recent years, emabssies of the United Kingdom have flown the Saltire to mark St Andrew's Day.

Colour and Dimensions

The Saltire with a "sky blue" coloured field.

At various times throughout history colours as light as sky blue or as dark as dark navy blue have been used (a selection apparently motivated by which colour of blue dye was available at the time). When incorporated as part of the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, the navy blue colour used was that of the Blue ensign belonging to the historic 'Blue Squadron' of the Royal Navy. Although this colour was used specifically for depicting the Union Flag on maritime flags on the basis of durability, it soon became standard on Union Flags both on land and at sea. This navy blue colour trend was adopted for the Saltire itself by many flag manufacturers, resulting in calls to standardise the colour of Scotland's national flag.

In 2003, a committee of the Scottish Parliament met to examine a petition that the Scottish Executive (Scottish Government) adopt the Pantone 300 colour as a standard. Note that this blue is of a lighter shade than the Pantone 280 of the Union Flag. Having taken advice from a number of sources including the office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the committee recommended that the optimum shade of blue for the Saltire should be Pantone 300. Recent versions of the Saltire have therefore largely converged on this official recommendation.

The flag proportion is not fixed, but is generally taken as 5:3 or 3:2, the former being preferred. The cross should have a width of 1/5 (i.e., 20%) of the height of the flag side.

Outside Scotland

The Scottish Saltire and field is one of the components of the Union Jack, the flag of United Kingdom(1). A reversed version (blue saltire on a white field) is to be found in the naval ensign of Russia (2) used before and after the Soviet Union (Saint Andrew is also a patron saint of Russia).

In Canada, the Scottish Saltire is featured on the Coat of Arms of Nova Scotia and on that province's flag. The Nova Scotian Flag has both a Cross of Saint Andrew and a rampant lion; the colours are reversed and the blue is generally a lighter shade than the Scottish Flag.

The U.S. state of Alabama's flag is officially a "crimson cross of Saint Andrew," but may actually be based on the Confederate Battle Flag.

Similarly, the Spanish island of Tenerife(1) and the remote Colombian islands of San Andrés and Providencia(2) also use the saltire on their flags.

The Scottish Saltire is also used unofficially by students and graduates of Xavier University because of the university's blue and white official colors and the resemblance of the flag to the letter "X".

Compiled by Martine Maryns

Source : Wikipedia