Editing Flag of Scotland (section)

===Use by the Scottish Government===

[[File:Scottish Government Logo.svg|250px|thumb|right|[[Scottish Government]] logo]]

The [[Scottish Government]] has ruled that the Saltire should, where possible, fly on all its buildings every day from 8am until sunset.<ref name="Govt" /> An exception is made for United Kingdom "national days", when on buildings where only one flagpole is present the Saltire shall be lowered and replaced with the [[Union Flag]].<ref name='ukflagdates'>{{cite web|url=http://www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying/dates.html |title=Dates for Hoisting Flags on UK Government Buildings 2009 |access-date=14 December 2009 |date=16 December 2008 |work=Flying the Flag on UK Government Buildings |publisher=Department for Culture, Media and Sport |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316062848/http://www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying/dates.html |archive-date=16 March 2009 }}</ref> Such [[Flag of the United Kingdom#Flag days|flag days]] are standard throughout the United Kingdom, with the exception of Merchant Navy Day (3 September) which is a specific flag day in Scotland during which the [[Red Ensign]] of the [[Merchant Navy]] may be flown on land in place of either the Saltire or Union Flag.<ref name="Govt" />

A further Scottish distinction from the UK flag days is that on [[Saint Andrew's Day]] (30 November) the Union Flag will only be flown where a building has more than one flagpole; the Saltire will not be lowered to make way for the Union Flag where a single flagpole is present.<ref name="Govt" /> If there are two or more flagpoles present, the Saltire may be flown in addition to the Union Flag but not in a superior position.<ref name='ukflagdates'/> This distinction arose after [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|Members of the Scottish Parliament]] complained that Scotland was the only country in the world where the potential existed for the citizens of a country to be unable to fly their national flag on their country's national day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ministers agree flag day review |date=20 May 2002 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1997980.stm |access-date=30 November 2009 }}</ref> In recent years, embassies of the United Kingdom have also flown the Saltire to mark St Andrew's Day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2006/11/07155736 |title=St Andrews Day celebrations |access-date=1 December 2009 |date=7 November 2006 |publisher=The Scottish Executive}}</ref> Many bodies of the Scottish Government use the flag as a design basis for their logo. For example, Safer Scotland's emblem depicts a lighthouse shining beams in a saltire shape onto a blue sky.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/public-safety/17141/practitioners |title=Community Safety in Scotland – Information for Practitioners |access-date=1 December 2009 |work=Law, Order & Public Safety |date=29 December 2008 |publisher=The Government of Scotland}}</ref> Other Scottish bodies, both private and public, have also used the saltire in similar ways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishflagtrust.com/FactTheFlag.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020224/http://www.scottishflagtrust.com/FactTheFlag.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 July 2011 |title=The Flag of Scotland |access-date=18 December 2009 |work=FactTheFlag |publisher=The Scottish Flag Trust }}</ref>