Scottish Luckenbooth

About the Scottish Luckenbooth

The Luckenbooth was so named because it was sold from “locked booths” on the Royal Mile adjacent to St. Giles Cathedral inEdinburgh, Scotland in the early 1700s. Traditionally fashioned into a brooch, the Luckenbooth was exchanged between lovers on betrothal, was pinned on the shawls of newborn babies to protect them from being taken by “evil spirits,” and was known as the witch-brooch by people wearing it as a form of protection for adults and children alike.

The Luckenbooth has been passed down from generation to generation in Scottish families, and has become a treasured heirloom as a symbol of enduring love and protection.

The intertwining hearts or inscribed phrases such as “of earthly joys thou art my choice” are evidence of its purpose, and a surmounting crown is symbolic of Mary Queen of Scots making it one of the most romantic and endearing symbols in Scottish history.