Achi news desk-
At Maryhill Burgh Halls on Sunday, Lord Lyon Dr Joseph Morrow – the heraldic authority in Scotland – handed over the Letters Patent of the Maryhill flag to two members of the local community.
This official document was inscribed by a calligrapher with the design of the flag hand painted on its surface, and makes the symbol a legal entity in its own right that can be flown alongside the Saltire.
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Dr Morrow said: “I was delighted to have the honor of launching the new Maryhill Flag by presenting the Letters Patent granting the flag to the community.
“The occasion was a celebration of the people of Maryhill and their strong value of community. This Flag is a sign of the future of Maryhill.”
In 2020 a competition was launched to design a flag for Maryhill, with the winning design being chosen by the public and unveiled in October 2021.
Since then, the people of the area have embraced their flag using it for everything from demonstrations to protests and even tattoo design.
The flag was designed to represent a narrow boat on the Forth & Clyde Canal with two blue bands representing the canal and the river Kelvin, red referring to community passion, and black symbolizing Maryhill’s industrial past.
The flag summarizes the origins of the area which developed as we know it today from the late 18th century when the Firth & Clyde Canal opened. The canal attracted industries and communities to Maryhill, and by 1856 the town became an independent police borough before being absorbed into Glasgow in 1891.
Melanie Farrow, Chief Executive of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust: “As the only flag to be recognized for an urban area in Scotland, Maryhill is going down in the history books with a symbol to represent the community and we hope to develop further programs around this.”
The Maryhill Flag Letter Patent will be on display at a later date in the Maryhill Borough Halls.
