Flag of Scotland

Region or constituent area

Flag of Scotland uses blue field with a white saltire. Ratio 3:5 and current adoption 1512.

Hoist Ratio 3:5 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Scotland
Entity Type	Region or constituent area
Identifier	GB-SCT

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	1512
First Documented Use	832
Proportion	3:5
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	Blue, White
Construction	Blue field with a white saltire

Documented Colour Values

Colour	Appearance	HEX	RGB	CMYK
Blue		#0065BF	0, 101, 191	100, 47, 0, 25
White		#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0

Design and Symbolism

Blue	the sky.
White	the Saltire of Saint Andrew.
Saltire	The diagonal cross on which Saint Andrew was martyred — by legend it appeared as clouds in a blue sky before a battle in 832.

Proportions

Ratio	3:5
Hoist	3 units
Fly	5 units

About the Flag of Scotland

Blue field with a white saltire The recorded proportion is 3:5. Within this library it is grouped with saltire (diagonal cross) designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Scotland is Blue (#0065BF) and White (#FFFFFF). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Saltire: The diagonal cross on which Saint Andrew was martyred — by legend it appeared as clouds in a blue sky before a battle in 832.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 832. The adoption field for the present record is 1512.

Entity status

Scotland is classified here as region or constituent area. That label describes the entity represented by the flag and prevents a territory, state or constituent area from being presented as a sovereign country.

Additional flag context

The saltire is among the oldest national flags in Europe, in use since at least the fifteenth century.

The official shade of blue was recommended by the Scottish Parliament in 2003 as Pantone 300, ending decades in which the flag appeared in every blue from navy to sky.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for Blue field with a white saltire, a 3:5 proportion and the visible saltire. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Scotland — Specialist vexillological reference

Other saltire (diagonal cross) flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Scotland

Scotland is recorded as blue field with a white saltire.
The reference proportion for the flag of Scotland is 3:5.
The stored palette for Scotland contains Blue and White.
The adoption field for this region or constituent area flag record is 1512.
The design record traces first use to 832.
Its construction is grouped with the saltire (diagonal cross) design family in this library.
Saltire: The diagonal cross on which Saint Andrew was martyred — by legend it appeared as clouds in a blue sky before a battle in 832.
The saltire is among the oldest national flags in Europe, in use since at least the fifteenth century.
The official shade of blue was recommended by the Scottish Parliament in 2003 as Pantone 300, ending decades in which the flag appeared in every blue from navy to sky.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Scotland

What does the flag of Scotland look like?

Blue field with a white saltire, with a recorded proportion of 3:5.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Scotland?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 3:5.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Scotland?

The reference palette lists Blue #0065BF and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the flag of Scotland represent?

Saltire — The diagonal cross on which Saint Andrew was martyred — by legend it appeared as clouds in a blue sky before a battle in 832.

When was the present flag record for Scotland adopted?

The adoption field in this record is 1512.

Which design family does the flag of Scotland belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with saltire (diagonal cross) designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Scotland?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.