Athelstaneford

Athelstaneford is a village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is close to the town of Haddington and lies approximately 20 miles east of Edinburgh.

According to popular legend, Athelstaneford is where the original Scottish saltire - the white diagonal cross on a sky blue background - was first adopted. On the eve of a battle pitting the Scots against the Angles (English) in 832AD, Saint Andrew, who was crucified on a diagonal cross, came to the Scots King Óengus II in a vision and promised him victory. The next morning the Scots observed a white cross formed by clouds in the sky. They won the battle, and the victorious forces attributed their victory to the blessing of Saint Andrew, adopting Saint Andrew's cross as their flag, and naming him their patron saint.

The retreating English Kingref|king, Aethelstanref|Aethelstan, was slain at a nearby river crossing, hence the name Athelstaneford. There are several versions of the story, of which this is one of the more widely accepted. Whatever the truth, the legend has cemented Athelstaneford's place in Scottish history.

Traditionally, the blue of the Saltire wasn't specified. It was much more practical to simply use whatever blue pigment was available to the locals, and standardisation has angered some traditionalists. In 2003 a committee of the Scottish Parliament proposed that the Scottish Executive adopt Pantone 300 as a standard, darker than many would like but still lighter than the blue in the Union Jack (generally Pantone 280).

Other attractions

Today the village is surrounded by farmland and has little in the way of amenities. Tourists can follow the "Saltire Trail", a road route which passes by various local landmarks and places of historical interest.

Athelstaneford Parish Kirk has a Nigel Tranter connection, and not only through the writer's support for the Scottish Flag Trust. The author was married there, and in April 2008 a permanent exhibition was mounted in the north transept of the church. The display was previously at Lennoxlove House, and prior to that at Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott. Items include a copy of Nigel Tranter's old typewriter, a collection of manuscripts and books, and other personal items.

Footnotes

# Some accounts describe Aethelstan as a leader not a king. In 832, Eanred was King of Northumbria.
# Not to be confused with Athelstan, the 10th Century King of England.

External links

*gbmapping|NT534773
* [http://www.visitscotland.com/aboutscotland/UniquelyScottish/Saltire This History of the Saltire] at visitscotland.com
* [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-scotl.html The Scottish Saltire] at Flags of the World

ee also

* List of places in East Lothian