Hunting at Roadside IV #6

Scotland Thistle is an aggressive perennial with a vigorous root system that continually produces new shoots, invading new areas and outcompeting other vegetation type.

However, Scotland Thistle has been an important symbol of Scottish heraldry for over 500 years.

No one knows for certain how the purple-flowered thistle rose to such lofty significance. But one legend has it a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from ambush by an invading Norse army. In order to move more stealthily under the cover of darkness the Norsemen removed their footwear. But as they crept barefoot they came across an area of ground covered in thistles and one of Haakon's men unfortunately stood on one and shrieked out in pain, thus alerting the Clansmen to the advancing Norsemen.