Prickly

This particular variety of thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland since medieval times when, according to legend, an invading Norse army were trying to sneak up on a Scottish army camped for the night. One of the barefooted Norsemen stood on a thistle and cried out in pain, alerting the Scots to their presence. 
Whether this tale is true or not, I think this thistle is a very handsome plant, making a striking emblem, and there were lots of them about on our walk this morning. The Goldfinches were also aware of their presence and flocks of them flitted from seedhead to seedhead along the sides of the track where we were walking.