The Thistle: Scotland’s National Emblem
We love flowers at Harrison Cropper, if you’ve been into our Garstang gift shop you’ll know how obsessed we are with all things floral. From the elegant rose to the humble thistle, nothing makes us smile more than seeing Garstang in full bloom.
Admittedly, the thistle flower is not for everyone. Many are put off by its weed like appearance and its prickly touch. On the other hand, many find the thistle alluring and stunning in its own way. Thistles bloom in a range of eye-catching colours, but they are most often seen in glorious shades of purple. We can understand why they are one of most requested bridal flowers for Scottish brides.
For hundreds of years, the thistle has remained the national emblem of Scotland. They’re not only stunning to look at, but make a cosy home for butterflies and bees. The recognisable prickles within a thistle are tiny spiny leaves grown in order to protect itself from being eaten by the local wildlife.
Thistle Voyage Maison Drum Lampshade
The thistle has been used as a Royal symbol of Scotland since the rule of James III in 1470 and is believed to be the oldest recorded national flower. Second only to Tartan as a recognisable symbol of Scotland, legend has it that the thistle became the national symbol for Scotland after a party of sleeping Scottish Warriors were saved from ambush by an invading army when one of their enemies trod on the spiky flower and cried out in pain, subsequently awaking the sleeping Scots who jump into action and fiercely fought off their invaders, for this reason the Scots adopted the thistle as their national flower.
Whilst there is no evidence to support this, it does add as a certain charm to the Thistle. Since then, the thistle has gone on to provide inspiration for poetry across Scotland, and for the past 500 years has been used a symbol of honour on the Order of Chivalry, bestowed to those who've made an outstanding contribution to the life of Scotland and the UK. This is one of this highest honours Scotland can give an individual.
Thistle Glen Voyage Maison Monty Stool
At Harrison Cropper, Garstang gift shop, we love the feel of the great Scottish countryside the thistle brings to our homes. Our blue thistle stem is a stunning alterative to a classic rose, and can be styled proudly in your favourite vase. The thistle glen tartan foot stool is the perfect feature to add a cosy country feel to your home. Bursting in colour, we believe the thistle speaks for itself, therefore our simple thistle heather bloom print pops on the white cushion background.
An all year-round flower, thistles never go out of style, and our Garstang gift shop offers a range of stunning gifts and home accessories incorporating the print. Dare to be different and opt for the thistle when choosing a pattern for the home.
To see the range of stunning thistle soft furnishing and gifts, head to our website or pop into our Garstang shop and say hello to our friendly team – and our little four-legged helper! (please note the entry fee is a head scratch – for the dog of course not us!).
