Legend of the Thistle

When Alexander III (1241-1285) was King of Scotland, King Haakon of Norway landed an army on the shores of that Kingdom and attempted to conquer it. According to tradition, during a sneak attack at night on the Scottish camp at Largs, a barefooted Norseman trod on a thistle and cried out in pain. The Scots were alerted, and the attack failed. King Haakon withdrew his army and the lowly thistle became the Scottish national symbol.

Researched by Valerie Sheldon