Archivists' Garden - Heraldry

Bell Heather

Erica cinerea (C.D. Eason) and Erica cinerea (Hookstone White), family Ericaceae

Season - June to September

(Associations - Tartan, Homecoming, Marriage, Heraldry, Famous Scots)

Bell Heather

---

Native to Britain and many parts of Western Europe, bell heather has had various domestic uses including bedding, thatch, tanning and even brewing. It is also the source of a purple ochre dye which was produced from the flowering tips.

Today having been written about in verse and song for centuries, the plant is deeply embedded in our culture and as such is perhaps the plant which means homecoming more than most. It was even dried and transported overseas as a symbol of home. Sprigs of white heather in particular were thought to bring good fortune and prosperity. At weddings it was given away as favours and still is today. Linked with romance, who could forget the words to the famous folk song, Will You Go Lassie, Go written by Northern Irish Folk singer, William McPeake, and recorded in 1957.

Will ye go, lassie, go,
And we'll all go together
To pick wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather,
Will ye go, lassie, go.

It is also the plant badge of the Clan MacDougall which dates back to 1164 when they formed a seat near Dunstaffnage in Argyll. Duncan MacDougall founded the priory at Ardchattan near Oban in 1230.

The Clan has a rich history central to both the political and social life of Scotland, from the time when they supported King John Balliol (1249-1313) in his claim to the throne against King Robert the Bruce of Annandale (1274-1329), to their role in the both the 1715 and 1745 rebellions.

The Arms of John Balliol

Bell Heather
MacDougall plant badge

Bluebells

Scilla non- scripta, family Hyacinthaceae/Liliaceae

Season - April to May

(Associations - Famous Scots, Heraldry, homecoming)

Bluebells

---

Native to Britain the bluebell features heavily in the music and culture of Scotland. Many poets, authors and musicians including Robert Burns, James Hogg and Lady Carolina Nairne have celebrated it's qualities and contribution to our landscape.

The most recent of these the Scottish classical composer Ian Ellis Hamilton (1922-2000) wrote a piece entitled Wild Garden, five pieces for the clarinet and the piano. You cannot help but wonder if this, one of his last works was inspired by the bluebell woods of the West of Scotland. Sadly it is unlikely if we will ever know, but what a fantastic celebration this piece of music is about our living heritage.

Like the thistle and rowan, bluebells are so evocative of our landscape they can rightly be seen as a plant of homecoming. Bluebells are also the plant badge of the Clan Grierson.

Ian Ellis Hamilton

Bluebells
Grierson plant badge

Boxwood

Buxus sempervirens, family Buxaceae

Season - all year

(Associations - Birth, Marriage, Death, Heraldry)

Boxwood

---

Native to south east England and Europe, Boxwood has been used in gardens for hedges and topiary for centuries. In ancient Greece it was dedicated to Hades or Pluto the god of the underworld, and to Venus or Aphrodite the goddess of love. It was associated with Cybele the mother goddess, a symbol of fertility and regeneration.

The Christian faith later adopted this belief and the plant became associated with the resurrection and as such was central to ceremonies surrounding Palm Sunday. In some cultures it symbolises eternal life and is used in rituals surrounding burial including floral wreaths. This is perhaps why the foliage and the wood were once thought to protect people and property from evil.

The plant has been used extensively in heraldry, featuring in the arms of families such as Davidson, MacBean, MacDun, MacGilvary, Macintosh, MacQueen, MacPherson and Shaw. It is also the plant badge of the ancient Clan MacBain, today commemorated by a memorial park on the shores of Loch Ness.

The wood is durable and has been turned into small domestic items such as bobbins and chess pieces, musical instruments and rulers; it was also used for inlaying furniture. The leaves and the timber were the source of medicinal oil used to treat epilepsy.

Boxwood, used in topiary
for centuries

Dog Rose

Rosa canina, family Rosaceae

Season - April to October

(Associations - Marriage, Death, Heraldry, Famous Scots)

Dog Rose

---

Rosa canina is native to Britain, Europe and parts of western Asia. The scented flowers are very variable in colour and have resulted in several cultivated hybrids. These include R. canina (Abbotswood) which was found in the garden of Irish engineer Mr Harry Ferguson who founded the tractor company which made the famous 'Little Grey Fergie' which changed the face of Scottish agriculture forever.

Robert Burns (1759-1796) also makes over 60 references to it in his many songs and poems as it was clearly one of his favourite flowers.

Shrouded in mythology and strongly linked to the Christian faith, the dog rose is symbolic of purity, love and marriage, it was also linked to the prediction of death, as it was once thought that if you were ill and dreamt of roses you would die!

The bright red hips which are produced in the autumn were once used to make medicinal syrup; they were also thought to give protection from sorcery and witches. This is perhaps why it often features in medieval and gothic architecture and works of art, especially, the wood and stone carving found with ecclesiastical buildings.

On the authority of the Court of the Lord Lyon the rose is recorded in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland and in the Matriculations of Arms of Chiefs as being the official plant badge of the Clans Borthwick, Erskine and Lennox.

 

Robert Burns

Dog Rose
official plant badge of Clans
Borthwick, Erskine and Lennox

Hairy Thyme

Thymus polytrichus, family Labiatae/Laminaceae

Season - April to August

(Associations - Famous Scots, Birth, Death, Heraldry

Hairy Thyme

---

Thyme, like many other scented plants, is steeped in mythology. In ancient Greece and Rome it was seen as a symbol of strength, power, courage and sacrifice, it was even embroidered on the togas of the generals. During the crusades it was given to knights about to go into battle to give them strength.

Perhaps because of this thyme is the plant badge of the Clan Armstrong, which originates from around Liddlesdale in Roxburghshire. Renowned for their strength, by 1528 the clan was said to have been able to put 3,000 horsemen in the field. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the clan had a turbulent relationship with the Scottish Kings, particularly King James V (1512-1542) who as a result of a ruse captured and hung some 50 members of the clan, including the famous border reiver Johnny Armstrong (d.1529) of Gilnockie near Langholm. His last words were reputed to be "I am but a fool to seek grace at a graceless face, but had I known you would have taken me this day, I would have lived in the Borders despite King Harry and you both." This defiance is commemorated in the famous Border ballad:

Johnny Armstrong
Farewell! my bonny Gilnock Hall
Where on Esk side thou standest stout
Gif I had lived but seven yeirs mair
I wad a gilt thee round about
John Murdered was at Carlinrigg
And all his gallant companie;
But Scotland's heart was ne'er sae wae
To see sae mony brave men die.

Due to its antiseptic qualities and connections with birth thyme has since the time of Dioscorides (c. 50AD) been thought of as a woman's herb, it was even placed under the bed of those about to give birth. Like many other sweetly scented plants it was thought to contain the souls of the dead.

King James V

Plant badge of Clan Armstrong

Hard Fern

Blechnum spicant, family Blechnaceae

Season - all year

(Associations - Marriage, Heraldry)

Hard Fern

---

In Gaelic culture ferns were thought to have protective powers especially from witches. Several native species were previously used medicinally for a wide number of ailments including, lumbago, worms, coughs and skin disorders. It was also used as shampoo.

Bracken Pteridium aquilinum, was important for bedding, green manure and a source of soda for the manufacture of glass and soap. The native Osmunda regalis once used as a love charm requires really moist conditions and today it can still be found throughout the western seaboard of Britain despite being plundered by Victorian collectors. Like many other ferns it is now protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The name Osmunda is said to be derived from the legend of Osmund, a Loch Fyne ferry man, who hid his family on an island covered with the tall foliage of this ornamental during a Viking raid. These two species being unsuitable for a small garden, ferns are represented by the architectural Blechum spicant.

Ferns are the plant badge of the Clan Chisholm who originated from the Scottish Borders and later established themselves in the highlands during the mid-1300's. They were strong supporters of the Jacobite cause but like so many clans, family members also fought on the government side, thus pitching father against son in some cases.

Hard Fern
official plant badge of Clan Chisholm

Hazel

Corylus avellana (Contorta), family Betulaceae

April - October

(Associations - Birth, Marriage, Famous Scots, Heraldry)

Hazel

---

The hazel is native to Britain, Europe and Asia. The durable timber has many uses ranging from hurdles, wattle and daub to walking sticks, bean poles and even divining rods. It has been considered sacred in many cultures since ancient times being seen as a gift from the gods.

In the Celtic world it is sacred to the sea god Manannan. It was also associated with fairies and considered to ward off evil. St Patrick is reputed to have driven the snakes out of Ireland with a hazel wand. It was also seen as a tree of knowledge and many thought that wisdom was imparted from it through the edible nuts, which make excellent eating. In Scotland they were also processed into milk in the autumn to feed new born babies in the belief that it would provide them with good luck and fine health. The nuts are also associated with fertility and marriage, being given out at weddings in the hope that the couple would be blessed with numerous children.

Hazel is the plant badge of the Clan Colquhoun which dates back to the 13th century and a grant of land near Dunbartonshire. Famous members of the Clan include Patrick Colquhoun (1745-1820), a former provost of Glasgow and tobacco merchant, who later became a reformer and statistician founding the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, the oldest of its kind in Britain and the Thames River Police.

More recently the Scottish painter, printmaker and set designer Robert Colquhoun (1914-62) became one of the leading artists off his generation after studying at the Glasgow School of Art and later throughout Europe.

The twisted ornamental form growing in the garden is affectionately known as 'Harry Lauder's Walking Stick' in deference to the well-known comic singer, born in Portobello in Edinburgh, Sir Harry Lauder (1870-1950). Lauder regularly appeared on-stage with a gnarled old twisted staff whilst singing his famous song 'Roamin in the Gloamin'.

 

Robert Colquhoun

Sir Harry Lauder

Flowering Hazel

Honeysuckle

Lonicera periclymenum, family Caprifoliaceae

Season - July to September

(Other associations - Heraldry, Homecoming)

Clan Maitland plant badge

---

The honeysuckle or woodbine is one of our most celebrated native plants. Famed for its colourful and sweetly scented flowers it has been grown in our gardens since before 1600. It occurs naturally from Britain to Europe and Russia.

The Ancient Greek herbalist Dioscorides and the English herbalist Gerard both speak of its medicinal properties, reporting that it was good for the digestion. An ointment prepared from the flowers was also thought to remove freckles! In Scotland it was considered to ward off evil especially around May Day, when it was woven into a wreath, placed on the front door and in the rafters of byres.

Many Scottish poets have extolled its qualities, including Charles Spence (1779-1869) the 'Bard of Gowrie' or the 'Poet of the Carse'. A stonemason and sculptor, Spence was also gifted self-taught poet who deserves acclaim. Born in the parish of Kinfauns he spent most of his life near Rait. He built the Free Church of Errol and was involved in Kinnaird Castle's restoration. Some of his sculptures can still be seen in the grounds of Fingask.

His poetry was often humorous and gentle. An anthology of his work From the Braes of the Carse was published posthumously, containing many of his beautiful love poems including The Treasure of Love which refers to the honeysuckle.

Charles Spence

Turn ye, Jessie, hither turn, / Treat my love no more with scorn;
In this honeysuckle grove / Let us sit and sing of love.
Let the rich make wealth their theme, / And their titled honours claim,
I nor wealth nor titles bring, / But I love, and love I sing.

The Aberdeenshire poet George P Dunbar wrote of it also in his Doric poem 'Granny's Gairden'.

Granny's Gairden
The honeysuckle clim't the wa', / An' aye at early morn
A guff o' sweetness creepit in / Tae tell o' day new-born;

It is the plant badge of Clan Maitland, one of Scotland's oldest Clans. Originally from Normandy, King David I granted them land in Northumberland (then part of Scotland).

Through marriage they acquired further estates throughout Lauderdale in the Scottish Borders. Since the 1400's members of the family have regularly held high office in both Scotland and England, they have also served in the military and diplomatic services as well as the legal profession.

The family seat is Thirlestane Castle near Lauder, one of the finest houses in the land with decorative ceilings and a wonderful collection of art and antiquities.

Lesser Periwinkle

Vinca minor, family Apocynaceae

Season - all year

(Associations - Famous Scots, Marriage, Heraldry)

Lesser Periwinkle

---

Now naturalised in parts of Britain the lesser periwinkle is thought to have been introduced from Europe prior to 1600. It is pollinated by long-tongued bees and bee flies. Traditionally it has been planted in gardens as a symbol of good fortune and a happy marriage.

Herbalists used it as a tonic, a laxative and as a gargle; it was also prepared into ointment for skin conditions. Recently it has been important in providing the drug vincamine, used in treating brain disorders.

On the authority of the Court of the Lord Lyon, periwinkle is recorded in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland and in the Matriculations of Arms of Chiefs as being the official plant badge of the Clan Hannay, originally from South West Scotland.

Perhaps the most famous Clan member was James Hannay (d.1661), the Dean of St Giles in Edinburgh. Reputedly, it was during one of his sermons on the 23 July 1637 that he became the target of a stool flung by one Jenny Geddes (c.1600-c.1660), a market trader, who was outraged at his use of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer for the first time in Scotland. The incident turned into a full scale riot which brought out the town guard, depicted in a contemporary print.

Cluster of Lesser Periwinkle

Anglican Prayers used in a Presbyterian service
led to rioting, 1637

Ling (White Heather)

Calluna vulgaris (Kinlochruel), family Ericaceae

Season - June to September

(Associations - Homecoming, Famous Scots, Tartan, Heraldry)

White Heather

---

Native to Britain, Europe and parts of North America no plant apart from the thistle is more associated with the romance of Scotland than heather. For generations it has featured in our literature, poetry, music and song. Yet few realise that many of the vast expanses of heather that dominate our landscape are the result of deforestation, sheep and the establishment of grouse moors.

Martin Martin (?- 1719) a Gaelic factor from Skye famed for his book A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland (1703) discussed the health-restoring qualities of ling when it was used as a mattress.

Osgood Mackenzie (1842-1922) the founder of the famous west coast subtropical garden at Inverwewe also talks about its use in domestic life in his book 'A Hundred Years in the Highlands', 1921 which also explains the establishment of the garden. Evidence exists that heather has been used in brewing in Scotland since 2000 BC and today it is still produced in Argyll and marketed as Fraoch the Gaelic word for the plant.

This brew was celebrated by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) in his poem:

Heather Ale
From the bonny bells of heather,
They brewed a drink lang syne
Was sweeter than honey
Was stronger than wine.

Bee keepers still take their bees to the heather in the flowering season as the honey produced is extremely sweet with a distinctive taste favoured by many around the world. The foliage and flowers were used to prepare a wide range of coloured dyes ranging from yellow through green to orange and brown. It was also used medicinally. The dried stems are made into besoms and brushes; this was once an important cottage industry in many rural areas. The stems were also bundled and bonded to make floor tiles, similar to the process used to make jewellery today.

White heather is the plant badge of the Clan MacPherson who have a clan seat on land granted by Robert the Bruce near Badenoch. The clan was a strong supporter of the crown during the Jacobite uprising.

Osgood Mackenzie

Robert Louis Stevenson

Plant badge of Clan MacPherson

Madonna Lily

Lilium candidum, family Liliaceae

Season - June to July

(Associations - Birth, Marriage, Death, Heraldry)

Madonna Lily

---

The Madonna lily occurs naturally from the eastern Mediterranean to Asia and it has been in cultivation since ancient times, when it was eaten and used medicinally.

Throughout history it has been surrounded by a myriad of mythology, religious symbolism and cultural beliefs.

The Egyptians dedicated it to Isis, the goddess of motherhood and a fertile earth. It was through her marriage to the god Osiris, that it was first connected with death and the underworld. To the Greeks it was 'the flower of all flowers' and to the Romans it was 'Jupiter's Rose'. One Greek myth links it to events between Juno, Jupiter, Zeus and Hercules, which is said to have resulted in the formation of the Milky Way and the lily. Another links it to Aphrodite the goddess of fertility, it is thought this reflects the phallus like pistil at the centre of the flower. Ultimately it was seen to represent purity, innocence, chastity and elegance. In the 5th century it became associated with Christianity and by the Middle Ages it was closely associated with the Virgin Mary in particular. Also dedicated to St Anthony patron saint of marriage, it was regularly placed in bridal wreaths, sometimes being mixed with ears of corn to represent a blessed and fertile marriage.

Its natural life cycle as a bulb is to emerge, flower and then die; as such it was associated with transience of life on earth, the soul and ultimately death. This resulted in it being planted in graveyards, especially in memory of children. To many it was a messenger of the Grim Reaper.

Due to its natural beauty and symbolism it was depicted in early art especially friezes, ceramics, stone carvings and coins. It later regularly appeared in renaissance Christian art especially.

It is also an important heraldic symbol, and was used as recently as 1996 in a Coat of Arms granted to the City of Dundee (below).

Very popular as a cut flower today it is clearly at the heart of our culture, yet few will understand the meaning our ancestors placed upon it.

Dundee, Coat of Arms

Red Rose

Rosa rubiginosa, family Rosaceae

Season - June to October

(Associations - Heraldry)

Red Rose

---

The red rose is the plant badge of the Clan Erskine, who originate from land on the south bank of the river Clyde which was originally held by Henry de Erskine in the reign of King Alexander II (1198-1249).

Famous members of the Clan include Ebenezer Erskine (1680-1754) a minister who founded the Secession Church, Robert Erskine (1677-1718) who became Chief Physician to Peter the Great, Tsar of all the Russias. He also founded the first physic garden in St Petersburg in 1714.

Thomas Alexander Erskine 6th Earl of Kellie (1732-81) was affectionately known as 'Fiddler Tam' for his prowess as a musician and a composer. His surviving symphonies and other works show an impressive range of styles and depth of expression. As his work is being rediscovered many consider it to be on a par with that of Haydn. 'Fiddler Tam' was also a bon viveur and a founder of the infamous Edinburgh drinking group known as the Capillaire Club which met on Sunday! Unusually he was also simultaneously Grand Master of both the Scottish and the English Freemasons.

The office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms whose court is currently in New Register House adjacent to the garden has previously been held by three Earls of the Clan Erskine including Sir Alexander Erskine of Cambo (1623- 1727) who was imprisoned for his support of the Jacobite cause.

'Fiddler Tam'

Plant badge
of Clan Erskine

Rock Ivy

Hedera helix (Atropurpurea), family Araliaceae

Season - all year

(Associations - Marriage, Birth, Death, Heraldry)

Rock Ivy berries

---

Ivy is native to Europe and Russia and has been cultivated in our gardens for centuries. It has been steeped in mythology and cultural meaning since ancient times. Originally dedicated to Osiris the goddess of motherhood in Egypt, and then later to Dionysus or Bacchus the Greek and Roman Gods of wine, the latter perhaps because it was thought to prevent drunkenness.

Another myth states that it grew around the altar of Hymenaios, the Greek God of Marriage. As such ivy was often presented to the bride and groom as symbol of everlasting life, devotion, fidelity and loyalty. The Greeks also used it to make a crown for Liber the God of fertility as well as poets and other muses. These ancient meanings were later adopted by the Christian faith, when it became a symbol of love, friendship, immortality and death. It is often seen carved on Christian tombs and was once placed on the graves of the dead on All Soul's Day.

By the Middle Ages these pagan meanings were deeply embedded in our cultural life, this was reflected in its use as a decoration at Christmas, a practice once banned by the Council of Churches due to its pagan roots. Carols such as 'The Holly and the Ivy' are thought to date from this time and may even be pre-Christian. Interestingly, by the Victorian era its use in this way was perfectly acceptable, perhaps a reflection of its place in the then accepted language of flowers. It is the plant badge of the Clan Gordon which dates back to 1150 and a first Grant of land near Kelso. Since then they have been central to the political and military life of Scotland and famed for their courage as well as the formation of the Gordon Highlanders. Two famous military heroes from the family include General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries (1635-1699), Commander of the Armies of Peter the Great of Russia and General Charles Gordon of Khartoum (1833-1835).

The family are also associated with the English poet Lord Byron - George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) the son of Scottish antecedents who was named after his grandfather on his mother's side, George Gordon of Gight Castle, Aberdeenshire.

Today Ivy is still regularly seen in bridal bouquets, but few will understand its ancient uses and meanings.

Rock Ivy leaves

Rowan

Sorbus aucuparia (Sheerwater Seedling), family Rosaceae

Season - April to October

(Associations - Famous Scots, Birth, Marriage, Death, Heraldry, Tartan, Homecoming)

Rowan

---

Not surprisingly the Rowan is at the heart of Scottish plant lore, associated with all areas of lives and culture. It has several practical uses - dyes, food, medicine. Our elders believed a heavy berry crop in autumn foretold many births the following year. It was believed to protect against evil, the devil, witches, death and disease; hence it was often seen planted near the house. Even today in parts of west Scotland foresters and gardeners refuse to cut the plant down.

Many of the nation's famous poets and song writers have written about its qualities including Robert Burns. However perhaps the best remembered work is that of the Scottish song writer Lady Carolina Nairne (1766-1845), a Jacobite laird's daughter, born Gask, Perthshire.

The Rowan Tree
Oh! Rowan Tree Oh! Rowan Tree, thou'lt aye be dear to me / Intwin'd thou art wi mony ties o' hame and infancy. / Thy leaves were aye the firt o' spring, the flow'rs the simmers's pride; / There was nae sic a bonny tree, in a' the countryside. / Oh! Rowan Tree.

Renowned Orcadian writer George Mackay Brown (1921-1996) wrote about it in his acrostic work Lullaby for Lucy (1980), celebrating the birth of Lucy Rendall of Rackwick, the first baby born on the island for 32 years. This was set to music by English composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davis, who had adopted Orkney as his home.

Lullaby for Lucy
Let all plants and creatures of the valley now / Unite
Calling a new / Young one to join the celebration.
Rowan and lamb and waters salt and sweet
Entreat the / New child to the brimming
Dance of the valley / A pledge and a promise.
Lonely they were long, the creatures of Rackwick, till
Lucy came among them, all brightness and light.

Lady Nairn

George MacKay Brown

Lucy Rendall parents

Rowan Tree

The fruits were mixed with madder to make traditional black and orange dyes for use in the manufacture of tartans and tweed. They were also made into jelly, a fermented punch and medicine for whooping cough. Also the plant badge of several clans including Clan Scrimgeour, Clan Wigan and Clan MacLachlan, it is no wonder with such strong cultural links that the seed was taken to other parts of the world by departing Scots who hoped to grow a reminder of home in foreign lands. Next to the thistle it is undoubtedly one of the best living emblems of homecoming.

Scotch Thistle

Onopordon acanthium, family Asteraceae/Compositae

Season - all year

(Associations - Heraldry, Homecoming, Death, Famous Scots)

Scotch Thistle

---

The plant we know as the Scotch thistle Onopordon acanthium is not native. It was most likely introduced from Europe pre-16th century and has now naturalised in many areas. Chosen by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) as the emblem for George the IV's visit to Scotland in 1822, it has been accepted as a national emblem. The most likely candidate for the true Scotch thistle is the native spear thistle Cirsium vulgare - abundant in Scotland and very similar to the depictions on early Scottish coins.

The plant has many heraldic connections and is associated with the Order of the Thistle which in the 17th century adopted the wonderful motto, Nemo me impune lacessit (nobody attacks me with impunity) no doubt in reference to the spines.

This ancient order may date to Emperor Charlemagne in the 9th century or, as some suggest, Scotland's James III (1488-1513).

Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) had the thistle's image incorporated into the Great Seal of Scotland, making it a national symbol for longevity.

Perhaps the most famous poem about this plant is by Hugh MacDiarmid. Christopher Murray Grieve (1892-1978) who in his masterpiece A Drunk Man Looks at a Thistle (1926) writes the following wonderful lines:

"Rootit on gressless peaks, whar its erect / And jaggy leaves, austerely cauld and dumb / Haud the slow scaly serpent in respect / The Gothic thistle, whar the insects hum"

The following words from the same work are engraved on MacDiarmid's gravestone in Langholm:

"I ha'nae hauf-way hoose, bu aye be whaur / Extremes meet - it is the only way I ken
To dodge the curst conceit o' bein' richt / Tha Dams the vast majority o' men."

Another famous Scot who wrote about its merits was James Scott Skinner (1843-1927) 'the Strathspey King', a traditional fiddler. Born in Banchory, Skinner performed extensively in Britain and America, composing over 600 tunes. Time permitting, he was also a keen gardener. After witnessing his gardener friend Dee Morrison's magnificent thistle display he declared: 'I will compose a tune with the title Dee Morrison's Seven Thistles'. The march is still played on radio and at ceilidhs.

Sir Walter Scott

Mary Queen of Scots

King James III (1488-1513)

Hugh MacDiarmid

James Scott Skinner

Sea Pink (Thrift)

Armeria maritima (Bees Ruby), family Plumbaginaceae

Season - May to June

(Associations - Heraldry)

Sea Pink

---

Thrift is native to the coastal regions of Britain and northern Europe. Prior to 1700 the roots were sliced, boiled in milk and used to treat tuberculosis in Orkney; elsewhere it was used for obesity. More recently it appeared on the Old English 3d pre-decimal coin.

It is the plant badge of the Clan Hunter which dates back to the 11th century. The clan seat has been held at Hunterston Castle for over eight hundred years. Throughout that time various members of the clan have played a prominent part in the public and military life of the nation and the commonwealth.

Having always had extensive farmlands they have long been closely associated with the environment. In recent years they have campaigned against inappropriate development and industrialisation.

Sea Pink, badge of Clan Hunter

White Rose of Scotland (Scots Rose, Burnet Rose)

Rosa spinosissima (Syn. Rosa pimpinellifolia), family Rosaceae

Season - May to October

(Associations - Homecoming, Birth, Marriage, Death, Heraldry, Tartan)

White Rose

---

Throughout Britain, Europe and Asia it is found on coastal sand dunes and limestone heath. Next to the thistle, Rosa spinosissima is probably our most emblematic native plant. It has been used as a Scottish emblem since Charles Edward Stuart or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' (1720-1788) and may have been the source of the Jacobite white cockade.

The Burnet Rose has become a symbol of Scotland, celebrated in song and poetry. Under the pen name Hugh MacDairmid, Christopher Murray Grieve (1892-1978) wrote these poignant words from 'The Little White Rose':-

The rose of all the world is not for me.
I want for my part
Only the little white rose of Scotland.
That sharp and sweet - and breaks my heart.

This tough reliable rose is the parent of many good garden hybrids which have a strong fragrance. One particularly old variety with double purple-lilac flowers named 'Mary Queen of Scots' is said to have been brought to Scotland by Mary Stuart (1542-1587) from France in 1561.

The ancient Romans strewed roses over their dead and graves. This resulted in Hecate, Goddess of the underworld, being depicted wearing a rose garland. In early Christianity roses had a mystical quality and were central to ceremonies surrounding birth, marriage and death. In the Islamic world rose water was used to purify the mosque.

Roses also have a long history as an emblem and are regularly seen in heraldry. For example the white rose is the plant badge of the Clan Keith which dates back to the time Malcolm II ( -1034) and the Battle of Barrie in 1010. David I (c.1080-1153) granted the family lands in Lothian in 1150, later Robert The Bruce (1274-1329) granted the hereditary Marischal Earldom to Sir Robert Keith after the Battle of Bannock Burn in 1314.

George Keith, the 4th Earl Marischal (c.1553-1623) founded Marischal college in Aberdeen, he also negotiated the marriage of James VI to Anne of Denmark. However Earldom and much of the land was lost following the clans support of the Jacobite cause.

The plant is associated with tartan - the small black hips grown each autumn produce juice which provides a peachy dye if used on its own, and a beautiful purple shade when mixed with alum.

'Bonnie Prince Charlie'

Hugh MacDiarmid

George Keith

Yew

Taxus baccata, family Taxaceae

Season - all year

(Associations - Death, Heraldry)

Yew shoot with cones

---

The native yew is surrounded by history and folklore. The Greeks and Romans dedicated it to Hecate, goddess of the underworld. Known as the 'tree of death', some cultures thought it was abundant in hell. It is also associated with Bacchus, god of wine and Artemis, goddess of hunting, who dipped her arrows in yew poison. Highland clansman were said to have drawn on its magical powers to threaten enemies. All this may account for its presence in so many Scottish churchyards. The wood was used to make English longbows, knife handles and furniture. Today the highly toxic sap is the source of the drug Taxol used to treat cancer.

Yew is Clan Seton's plant badge, so the signature of one Alexander Seton connects the Yew with what is perhaps the most important document held at National Archives of Scotland, the Declaration of Arbroath (1320) and the reign of King Robert I 'The Bruce' (1316-1390).

The 5th Lord Seton, George Seton (c. 1527-1558) was a staunch catholic and former Provost of Edinburgh. A firm supporter of Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587), his daughter was one of the four Marys sent to France with the young Queen in 1548.

Mary Seton (1549-1615) returned with the Royal party in 1561 and remained with the Queen until her execution. She retired to a French nunnery.

King Robert I 'The Bruce'

George Seton

Yew tree

Mary, Queen of Scots