Athelstaneford Heritage Centre

Athelstaneford near Haddington
EH39 5BE

The Scottish Flag Centre is located in the conservation village of Athelstaneford in East Lothian. It lies some 20 miles from Edinburgh, a mile to the east of Haddington, and is signposted and easily accessed from the A1. It is graded by VisitScotland as a 4-star Visitor Attraction, and entry is FREE!. The Centre, which lies to the rear of the Parish Church and occupies a restored 16th century doocot, is open to the public daily between 09.00 and 18.00 from 1 April to 31 October, and it is also open on 30 November - St Andrew's Day. Athelstaneford is the birthplace of Scotland's national flag - the St Andrew's Cross or Saltire. Tradition has it that the flag, the oldest in Europe, originated in a battle fought close by the village in the dark ages. The date is believed to have been 832AD. Visitors to the Centre can enjoy a short audio-visual dramatisation of the battle above which the Saltire appeared in the sky and inspired the Scots to victory. From April 2009, the story will be available not only in English, but, at the push of a button, in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish and Gaelic. The Church and the Saltire Memorial within the Churchyard can also be visited at any time.

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