A classic quoit design, this round silver kilt pin is set with a central citrine and decorated with traditional Scottish thistles. Hallmarked “Made in Great Britain,” the pin is heavily plated in sterling silver and measures just over 1.75 inches across.

Found across the Scottish nation, the beautiful purple thistle was first used as a royal symbol of Scotland in 1470. In fact, according to legend, the lowly thistle was instrumental in turning the tides of a Norse invasion at the Battle of Largs in 1263.

An invading battalion of Norsemen, on orders from King Haakon of Norway, landed in Ayrshire. They intended to subdue the Scots as Scotland was, at that time, part of the Kingdom of Norway. Removing their footwear to better surprise the sleeping Scots, the Norse invaders crept through the nighttime darkness until one of Haakon’s soldiers trod across a patch of prickly thistles. His cries of pain woke the Clansmen of Scotland. Alerted to the approaching army, the Clansmen rallied and drove off the invaders, securing Scotland’s freedom for another few generations.