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

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.

Road signs in East Lothian

The village of Athelstaneford, like all of East Lothian, is characterised by distinctive red roofed cottages.

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.

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.

Flag 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.

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