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Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom)

Last modified: 2023-12-23 by rob raeside
Keywords: edinburgh university | napier university |
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City of Edinburgh

[City of Edinburgh] image by Graham Bartram
Source: http://flags.net/UNKG12.htm

See also:

Description and use of the flag

Having lived in Edinburgh for the last nine months, I have yet to see this flag fly anywhere. The City Chambers fly a sort of logo-on-a-bedsheet flag along with the Scottish flag and the Union Jack. (This is not to say that the flag doesn't exist, it's a likely enough banner of arms, it just doesn't seem to be extremely popular).
Stefan Schwoon, 23 March 2002

Argent a Castle triple-towered Sable, upon a rock proper issuant from the base, masoned Argent, windows, vanes and portcullis Gules.
António Martins-Tuválkin , 18 January 2007


Logo flag

[Edinburgh logo flag] image by Tomislav Todorovic, 18 November 2023

Beside the heraldic banner, there is also a logo flag for The City of Edinburgh Council. You can see it flying on photos here: https://www.alamy.com/edinburgh-city-chambers-edinburgh-council-flag-flys-on-the-mast-above-the-chambers-image218309504.html
https://nationalworld.newsprints.co.uk/38296252-gv-of-edinburgh-city-council-flag-over-city-chambers-26-10-19/
Image derived from the SVG image of the council logo from Wikipedia.

The shade of purple in the source photos looks lighter, but this is indeed the shade as used in the logo at the council site.
Tomislav Todorovic, 18 November 2023


University of Edinburgh

[University of Edinburgh] by Stefan Schwoon, 17 September 2001

The University of Edinburgh, located in the capital of Scotland, is more than 400 years old. Quoting the university's website, "Granted its Royal Charter in 1582 by James VI, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, the University was founded the following year by the Town Council of Edinburgh, making it the first post-Reformation University in Scotland, and the first civic University to be established in the British Isles."

The flag of the university is a banner-of-arms - a blue saltire in a white field (inversion of the Scottish flag). The upper quarter is charged with a thistle, a symbol of Scotland; the lower quarter is charged with a castle, taken from the arms of the city of Edinburgh. The centre of the saltire is charged with a golden book, a symbol of higher learning.

Stefan Schwoon, 17 September 2001


Napier University, Edinburgh

[University of Edinburgh] by Stefan Schwoon, 17 September 2001

Napier University uses a flag diagonally divided by white and red - white at the top and fly, red at the hoist and bottom. The flag is flying on top of a majestic-looking building within a large park which is the main campus of the university and is also depicted on cars belonging to the university. Despite appearances, the university is relatively young. Again quoting its website: "The University's roots go back to the 16th century mathematician John Napier, after whom the institution is named. Napier University was founded in 1964; its present structure results from the amalgamation, in 1974, of Napier College of Science and Technology and Edinburgh College of Commerce." I have no information where the flag is derived from - unusually enough (for Scotland) it's not a banner of arms.

Stefan Schwoon, 17 September 2001


Edinburgh Tattoo

[Edinburgh Tattoo] by Chris Pinette, 17 March 2002

The image depicted appears to be based upon a banner of the Tattoo's arms.
Colin Dobson, 3 January 2007

The flag of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is based on the arms of the Tattoo. The Tattoo is an annual event organized by the Army. It is a programme of music, marching an historic re-enactments. The arms can be seen at http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/_images/sidebar_front.gif and the full achievement (which can be seen very small in this image http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/_common_images/edinburgh_tattoo_main_logo.gif) includes a supporter holding a flag of the main charges of the shield: a red-black-red triband with a yellow rampant lion over all (the other lion is holding the St. Andrew's). The site does not mention or show the flag of the Tattoo itself, though.

The Tattoo flag is a banner of the arms which are Gules a fess Sable and over all a lion rampant Or and chief per pale Scotland (Azure a saltire Argent) and Edinburgh (Argent a Castle Sable open Gules).
António Martins-Tuválkin , 18 January 2007