I've always had a soft spot of thistles (excuse the pun). My much loved grandfather emigrated to Australia from Scotland as a young man. I have always identified with my Scottish heritage and so was enthralled, as a schoolboy, with the tale of how the thistle became the national emblem of Scotland.You probably know the yarn already, but, just in case, the story goes that a Viking raiding party was trying to effect a surprise attack on a group of Scottish fighting men who were resting in a field one night. In the interest of stealth the Norsemen had removed their boots. When they stumbled onto a patch of thistles their cries warned the Scot's who went on to defeat them. To this day the thistle is the universal symbol of Scotland
