Scottish Blog

Patron Saint of Scotland

To this day Saint Andrew is regarded as the Patron Saint of Scotland and his symbol still appear on the Scottish flag. St Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on November 30 of each year.

Christian tradition states that Saint Andrew was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. He lived in Capernaum and was at one point a disciple of John the Baptist. Later in his life it said that Saint Andrew preached along the Black Sea, Scythia and also Asia Minor. It is said that his life ended with a crucifixion, although it was unique in the sense that the cross was not upright but in the shape of an “x”. this came to be his symbol and is now known as Saint Andrews cross or a saltire, although technically it should be regarded as “Crux decussata”. It is said that after his death, the relics of Saint Andrew were moved to Constantinople and later to St Andrews in Scotland.

The bringing of these relics is one of the reasons that are thought to be the reason that Saint Andrew is regarded as the patron Saint of Scotland. It is said that the relics of Saint Andrew were brought to the Scottish site of St Andrews under the guidance of visions by one named Regulus, between the times of 729 and 761. He brought the relics to the Pictish King Óengus mac Fegusa, who then commissioned the creation of St Andrews Sarcophagus, at what is now known as St Andrews (Cill Rìmhinn at the time).

A widely believed theory amongst researchers as to how Saint Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland is more political. Around the end of the 7th century the Celtic church decided that its people held more belief in Peter than they did in St Columba, to combat this they decided that the Celtic church would adopt Peter’s older brother, Saint Andrew as the patron of the church and thus Scotland. This theory currently holds the most evidence in support of being the real reason behind Saint Andrew becoming the patron Saint of Scotland.