flag of Scotland

According to Scottish lore, the legendary King Angus (Achaius, or Hungus) saw a white saltire in the blue sky during his battle against the Saxons near what is now the village of Athelstaneford. That is the supposed origin of the Cross of St. Andrew, although the event, attributed to ad 737 or 832, is clearly apocryphal. The first corroborated use of the symbol dates from 1286, when it appeared in the government seal of the “guardians” of Scotland. The royal coat of arms of Scotland—a red lion and intricate border on a yellow background—was used in the early 13th century on seals and, quite possibly, in flag form; in the 20th century it was unofficially and improperly used as a Scottish national flag.

In the summer of 1385 the Scottish Parliament decreed that soldiers should wear a badge with the white Cross of St. Andrew against a black background. The corresponding flag, frequently with a blue background, was probably chosen to provide a stark contrast to the red-and-white flag of England (the Cross of St. George). After 1606, at least during those times when Scotland and England were under a common monarch, the saltire of St. Andrew and the Cross of St. George were united. The design of the Union Jack is the best-known example of the combination, but a quarterly arrangement was official during the rule of Oliver Cromwell in the mid-17th century. When Scotland and England joined to form Great Britain in 1707, their individual flags ceased to be recognized internationally.