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Cycling journeys from Drem station part three- Athelstaneford, birthplace of Scotland's flag

4/3/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
Discover the story of Scotland's flag on a 2 mile cycle from Drem station.

Drem is located in East Lothian, 25 minutes from Edinburgh, and is within cycling distance of many interesting attractions. This blog covers the village of Athelstaneford where the Scottish flag comes from.

It is a 2 mile cycle from Drem station to Athelstaneford. From the station take a left turn onto the B1377, then the first left, which crosses over the railway.

Look out for the old fashioned road signs that are beautifully maintained in this area.
Picture
Road signs in East Lothian
The village of Athelstaneford, like all of East Lothian, is characterised by distinctive red roofed cottages.
Picture
Cottages in Athelstaneford
The village is tiny and the main focus is the Parish Kirk, where there is a large sign for the Flag Heritage Centre.
Picture
Athelstaneford Parish Kirk
The Flag Centre is free to enter and located behind the church in a doocot that dates from the 1580s. Inside there is an audio visual presentation about the Scottish flag.

PictureFlag Heritage Centre in Athelstaneford

The origins of the flag can be traced to a battle in 832. King Angus led an army of Picts and Scots against a Northumbrian army near Athelstaneford. Angus was outnumbered and the night before the battle he prayed for victory. When he went to sleep he had a dream in which  Saint Andrew promised that Angus would win the battle. In the morning of the battle an unusual cloud formation appeared in the sky- a white cross against a blue sky background. Angus took this to be an omen and his army won the battle, despite being outnumbered.


It will not take long to visit the village and the Flag Heritage Centre, so you may wish to add on one of the other cycle trips you can do from Drem station. How about Myreton Motor Museum? Or the National Museum of Flight.



2 Comments
Richard link
14/3/2015 08:18:19 pm

Great legend behind the flag story. I suppose those white crosses appear in the sky a lot now with all the airplane trails, but maybe not in the 800s!

Reply
Colin
15/3/2015 01:12:54 am

Hi Richard. It was only recently that I came across the flag story. I guess I never really thought about the origins of the flag and just took it for granted.

Reply



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    My name is Colin Baird and I want to see all of Scotland by bicycle. Follow my blog on Facebook:

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  • Home
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  • Blog
  • Route Map
  • Where to go in Scotland
    • Aberdeenshire
    • Angus
    • Argyll and Bute
    • Central Scotland
    • Dumfries and Galloway
    • East Lothian
    • Edinburgh and Midlothian
    • Fife and Clackmannanshire
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    • Sutherland and Caithness
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    • Cycle Clothing
    • What gear to buy
    • Taking your bike on the train
    • Coping with traffic
    • Best cycling guide books
    • Best novels about cycling in Scotland
    • Family-Friendly Bike Holidays in Scotland
    • Mountain Biking Guide
  • Travel Writing Projects/Working with Me
  • Best Cycling Books
  • Diary of a Cycle Commuter