Scotland

The flag of Scotland, known as the Saltire or St Andrew’s Cross, is one of the oldest continuously used national flags. Its earliest recorded use as a Scottish emblem dates to 1286 on the seal of the Guardians of Scotland. In 1385, Scottish soldiers were ordered to wear the cross, and the first clear illustration of the flag itself appears in Sir David Lindsay’s armorial around 1542. The design was later given legal form in 1672. The saltire refers to Saint Andrew, traditionally believed to have been martyred on a diagonal cross.