BP6GAX Scottish Crossbill, Loxia scottica. Image shot 2008. Exact date unknown.

Source: BBC

November 30 is Saint Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, among other countries, and provides the inspiration for Scotland’s flag – the Saltire Cross, or Saint Andrew’s Cross – among other things.

Top among the reasons to celebrate should be Scotland’s wonderful wildlife, be that on land, in the sea or up in the air.

By land:

Some of the UK’s most iconic and rarest animals and plants can be found, and even thrive, in Scotland.

Thistle

The thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland for centuries (credit: WILDLIFE GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo)

There is only one place to start the celebrations and that’s with the national emblem of Scotland: the thistle. This prickly plant stands proud throughout most of the country and has been the country’s emblem for hundreds of years. No one really knows how it came about, but one famous legend dates from the reign of King Alexander the third in the 13th Century. The story goes that while barefooted invading Norsemen were trying to surprise sleeping clansmen, one of them trod on a thistle and his resulting cry of pain alerted the defenders, who defeated the invaders and the battle was won.

Find out more about how the thistle became the national emblem of Scotland.

Scottish wildcat

Scotland is the last remaining stronghold for Britain’s last truly wild cat (credit: Stephan Morris / Alamy Stock Photo)

Representing the wild and mysterious spirit of the highlands of Scotland is the Scottish wildcat. They look somewhat similar to tabby house cats, but these are far from your domestic moggy. They’re elusive, muscular and skilled predators, and Scotland is the last stronghold for Britain’s only wild cat. Nobody really knows how many wildcats are left in Scotland, but estimates suggest it could be as low as 100 or less. The greatest threat to their future is from mating with domestic and feral cats, producing fertile offspring that dilutes the genetic pool. Whether they are an isolated island population of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) or a distinct subspecies (Felis silvestris grampia) is still being debated.

Discover more about wildcat history and identification from Save the Scottish Wildcat.

Red squirrel

Around 75% of the UK’s red squirrels are found in Scotland (credit: Lorraine Yates / Alamy Stock Photo)

Britain’s mammals don’t come any more recognisable than the iconic red squirrel. They are coming under increasing threat from grey squirrels in most of the UK and the subject of many conservation efforts. Scotland has a population of 120,000 or so, representing over 75% of the UK’s total, making it one of the best places to catch a glimpse of this adorable animal. Thankfully the population seems to be stable, but is still of critical importance.

By sea:

Unsurprisingly Scotland is one of the best places in Europe to see marine mammals because of its coastline and islands.

Bottlenose dolphin

The Moray Firth is one of the best places to see bottlenose dolphins in the UK (credit: Terry Whittaker / Alamy Stock Photo)

Bottlenose dolphins are one of Scotland’s much loved and best known marine cetaceans and should need no introduction. They travel in pods and have entertained many people with their playful jumping and leaping out of the water. It’s possible to see bottlenose dolphins anywhere around the coast of Scotland, however the Moray Firth deserves a special mention as it is one of the best places to see them in the UK and it supports the only known resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea.

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