On 30 November, ( St Andrew's Day ), the Union Flag can be flown in Scotland only where a building has more than one flagpole — on this day the Saltire will not be lowered to make way for the Union Flag if there is only one flagpole.

Leek's coat of arms is made up of a Saltire Shield.

The Flag of Scotland, (, ), also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland.

As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both their loyalty and Scottish nationality.

Consisting of a blue background over which is placed a white representation of an X-shaped cross, the Saltire is one of Scotland's most recognisable symbols.

However, in the case of the Blue Blanket of the Trades of Edinburgh, the Saltire is not the only emblem to be portrayed.

An exception is made for United Kingdom " national days ", when on buildings where only one flagpole is present the Saltire shall be lowered and replaced with the Union Flag.

Such flag days are standard throughout the United Kingdom, with the exception of Merchant Navy Day, ( 3 September ), which is a specific flag day in Scotland during which the Red Ensign of the Merchant Navy may be flown on land in place of either the Saltire or Union Flag.

A further Scottish distinction from the UK flag days is that on Saint Andrew's Day, ( 30 November ), the Union Flag will only be flown where a building has more than one flagpole-the Saltire will not be lowered to make way for the Union Flag where a single flagpole is present.

Planning permission to fly the Saltire from a flagpole is not required, therefore it can be flown at any time by any individual, company, local authority, hospital or school.

The practice of maritime vessels adopting the Saltire, for use as a jack or courtesy flag, may lead to possible confusion in that the Saltire closely resembles the maritime signal flag M, " MIKE ", which is used to indicate " My vessel is stopped ; making no way.

Scottish Union Flag depicted in the 1704 edition of The Present State of the Universe. The Saltire is one of the key components of the Union Flag which, since its creation in 1606, has appeared in various forms following the Flag of Scotland and Flag of England first being merged to mark the Union of the Crowns.

The Dutch municipality of Sint-Oedenrode, named after the Scottish princess Saint Oda, also uses the Saltire as the basis of its flag, although in this case the Saltire is defaced with a gold castle, having on both sides a battlement.

Used historically by the King of Scots, the Royal Standard of Scotland differs from Scotland's national flag, The Saltire, in that its correct use is restricted by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland to only a few Great Officers of State who officially represent The Sovereign in Scotland.

The Flag of Scotland shows the Saltire of Saint Andrew and is traditionally associated with Óengus mac Fergusa.

The Saltire design is however distinct from that of the Orthodox Cross.

( In recent years, embassies of the United Kingdom have also flown the Saltire to mark St Andrew's Day ).

Funerals, conducted with full military honours, of casualties of these operations in Iraq, ( plus those killed in operations in Afghanistan ), have also been seen to include the Saltire ; the flag being draped over the coffin of the deceased on such occasions.

The station crest of RAF Leuchars, Fife, also shows the Saltire, in this case surmounted by a sword.

The crest of the former RAF East Fortune, East Lothian, also showed a sword surmounting the Saltire, however unlike Leuchars this sword was shown invereted, and the station crest of the former RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, showed a Saltire surmounted by an eagle's head.

Inverse representations, ( blue saltire on a white field ), of the Scottish Saltire are also used outside Scotland.

The Red Ensign was also flown by ships of the Royal Scots Navy, with a Saltire in the canton.

Other flags are also used at home and away games, like the Flag of Northern Ireland because the team is based in Northern Ireland and most of the fans are from there, the Flag of South Africa, because they have players from South Africa, including first choice kicker Ruan Pienaar, the St Patrick's Saltire flag, a red and white checkered flag and many other flags, mostly red and white.

The Church of Ireland use the St Patrick's Saltire but also use the Compass-rose Flag of the Anglican Communion equally.

He can also think of nothing in the letter that he wrote, posted by James Wilder along with dozens of others, that could have upset Lord Saltire.

She was also a committed Scottish nationalist, an active member of the Saltire Society, and a founder member of Scottish PEN, which she served in various ways.

In the case of the Saltire, variations in shades of blue have resulted in the background of the flag ranging from sky blue to navy blue.

Some flag manufacturers selected the same navy blue colour trend of the Union Flag for the Saltire itself, leading to a variety of shades of blue being depicted on the flag of Scotland.

Although the earliest use as a national symbol can be traced to the seal of the Guardians of Scotland in 1286, material evidence for the Saltire being used as a flag, as opposed to appearing on another object such as a seal, brooch or surcoat, dates from somewhat later.

Although not represented in the form of a flag, the No. 602 ( City of Glasgow ) Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force uses the Saltire surmounted by a lion rampant as the device shown on the squadron crest.

Many local authorities in Scotland fly the Saltire from Council Buildings, however in 2007 Angus Council approved a proposal to replace the Saltire on Council Buildings with a new Angus flag, based on the council's coat of arms.

This move led to public outcry across Scotland with more than 7, 000 people signing a petition opposing the council's move, leading to a compromise whereby the Angus flag would not replace but be flown alongside the Saltire on Council Buildings.

Use of the Saltire at sea as a Jack or courtesy flag has been observed, including as a Jack on the Scottish Government's Marine Partrol Vessel ( MPV ) Jura.

" For the benefit of Scottish seafarers wishing to display a Scottish flag other than the Saltire, thereby avoiding confusion and a possible fine, a campaign was launched in November 2007 seeking official recognition for the historic Scottish Red Ensign.

In Canada, an inverse representation of the Saltire, combined with the shield from the Royal Arms of the Kingdom of Scotland, forms the modern flag of the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia ( New Scotland ), the first colonial venture of the Kingdom of Scotland into the Americas.

Having taken advice from a number of sources, including the office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the committee recommended that the optimum shade of blue for the Saltire be Pantone 300.

In the battle for " hearts and minds " in Iraq, the Saltire was again used by the British Army as a means of distinguishing troops belonging to Scottish regiments from other coalition forces, in the hope of fostering better relations with the civilian population in the area south west of Baghdad.

Selections for Makars ' Court are made by The Writers ' Museum, The Saltire Society and The Scottish Poetry Library.

He has since edited another book Agenda for a New Scotland-Visions of Scotland 2020 and has co-authored two books on the Scottish Diaspora, Global Scots-Voices From Afar and Wherever the Saltire Flies, with the former First Minister Henry McLeish.

* Gavin Douglas: A selection from his Poetry, edited by Sydney Goodsir Smith, Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd for The Saltire Society, 1959

: Barry wavy of ten, Argent and azure, on a Saltire gules, two swords in Saltire points upwards of the first enfiled of a Mitre Or, and for the Crest upon a Mural Crown of Seven turrets Or and Ancient Rowing Ship in full sail Sable, the Flags per fesse Argent and Azure charged on the sail with a Rose Gules, surmounted by a Rose Argent barbed Vert and seeded proper.

It won the Saltire Scottish Book of the Year Award for 1994 ; and was listed for the Booker prize for fiction.

* Beside the Ocean of Time ( 1994 ) shortlisted for Booker Prize and judged Scottish Book of the Year by the Saltire Society

In August 2008 the Scottish Government's agency Transport Scotland announced that all ScotRail trains ( including from the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport ) would be eventually repainted in a new, blue livery with white Saltire markings on the carriage ends.

* 1996 Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award for The Kiln

* Scotrail rail services in Scotland operated by First ScotRail ( including those operated by First ScotRail for the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport ), are painted in a blue livery with white Saltire markings on the carriage ends, as mandated by the Scottish Government's transport agency Transport Scotland.