The 30th of November is the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland. To celebrate we’ll be hosting a fantastic evening of food and drink, packed with entertainment. Unfortunately this years event is already full booked. However, you can celebrate at your own party with our fantastic range of St Andrew’s Day gifts and tableware.

Very little is really known about St. Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus. St. Andrew is said to have been respo

nsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of St. Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.

St. Andrew’s bones were entombed, and around 300 years later were moved by Emperor Constantine to his new capital Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) was warned in a dream that St. Andrew’s remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to protect them and take them to the “ends of the earth” for safe-keeping. St. Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from St. Andrew’s tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the known world at that time and it was here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo. St. Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of St. Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.

Perhaps more likely than the tale of St. Rule’s journey is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a renowned collector of relics, brought the relics of St. Andrew to St. Andrews in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious centre at St. Andrews at that time, either founded by St. Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731-761.

In either case, the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.

Whatever the truth, this special day is celebrated throughout Scotland in many different ways. To find out about events throughout the country visit Scotland.org here.

Don’t forget – you can always show off your Scottish roots with our fantastic range of tartan tableware, flags, scarves and gifts.

Whatever your choice have a happy St Andrew’s Day!

It’s difficult to imagine a more perfect present for the winter time than a genuine tartan lambswool scarf.

Whoever you’re shopping for, be it mother, father, husband, wife, sister or brother you really can’t make a better choice.

We’ve just had our Christmas stock delivered and as you can see from the pictures, receiving and storing 2500 tartan scarves all at once is far from easy! However, the girls worked extremely hard and we’re very pleased with the result.

Our main supplier of woollen scarves are the renowned Scottish Borders company of Lochcarron. Established shortly after the end of World War 2, this family company use a combination of traditional methods and craftsmanship along with the very latest in technology, to produce knitwear that is second to none. With three manufacturing and design facilities in Hawick, Selkirk and Langholm, and with celebrity customers ranging from Sir Sean Connery to Shrek, their claim to be the world’s leading tartan manufacturer is difficult to dispute!

We have an extensive range of 150 different tartan scarves, so we’re confident that you will always find the perfect one to suit your needs. With our search facility we’ve made it even easier for you to find your ideal choice.

With our updated search options it’s now possible to look for a specific tartan or clan or, on the other hand, if you just want a good looking scarf, choose from a range of non generic tartans such as our own design “Scotland Forever” or the Isle Of Skye.

Unlike similar looking yet inferior products on the market, our scarves are made in Scotland from 100% pure lambswool. Simple, warm and easy to wear, we’re sure you will find what your looking for in our fantastic range.

Finally, we’d like to thank our models for braving the elements that day in order to allow us to bring you some great pictures that give you an idea of how chic and fashionable this range is. Our models Gavin and Rachel were extremely patient as we staged this photo shoot in freezing temperatures and a very strong and bitter wind, so thanks guys!

This Christmas we are proud to announce three fantastic offers, which you are sure to love:

1. Free Gift Wrap

Normally £3.50 per item, you can now have any purchase gift wrapped completely FREE.

Our gift wrap includes:

• High quality green wrapping paper
• Luxury gold ribbon finished into a gold bow
• Additional packaging to protect the wrapping in transit
• A complimentary gift card with your personal message

* This offer does not apply to a small number of items which are dispatched directly to you from our suppliers.

2. Free Delivery

Our free UK delivery offer continues. Remember that all In Stock orders placed before 4pm are despatched the same day. Next day and International delivery options are also available, you can view more detailed information on our Delivery Information page.

3. Half Price Engraving

We’ve reduced our engraving charge from £7.50 to just £3.75!

We have hundreds of items on the website which can be engraved including Quaichs, Hip Flasks and much more. Simply place an item in your basket and you can choose the engraving option: