Video: The story of Scotland's patron saint, St Andrew
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On November 30 we celebrate Scotland’s patron saint with St Andrew’s Day.
An early figure in Christianity, Andrew was born between 5 AD and 10 AD.
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Hide AdHe and his brother Simon Peter were fishermen from the largest port in Palestine, Bethsaida.


He, his brother, John and James became the first apostles of twelve that would stay by Jesus’ side.
There’s actually very little mention of Andrew in the bible other than his attendance at the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 in John’s gospel.
He is perhaps most well known for the circumstances surrounding his martyrdom. The white saltire on the Scottish flag is symbolic of the diagonal cross on which St Andrew was crucified by the Romans.
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Hide AdEven when faced with certain death, the condemned man is said to have not deemed himself worthy of dying on the same shape of cross as his saviour.


Scots have been celebrating Saint Andrew - also patron saint of fishermen - for a thousand years.
To hear working theories about why St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, you can watch the video in the player above.