The Scottish Government advocated that the "national song should be an anthem for all the people of Scotland with our diverse heritage and traditions.

At the time, in November 2015, the Scottish Government confirmed it had "no current plans in this regard" to formally adopt a national anthem of Scotland.

[11] "Flower of Scotland" was written in the mid-1960s by Roy Williamson who was a member of the folk group the Corries.

The shortlist of anthems also included "Scotland the Brave", "Loch Lomond" and "Highland Cathedral".

As of February 2024, the Scottish Government have not yet formally adopted an official national anthem of Scotland, despite having the legal competence in order to do so.

In his speech to the committee, he claimed "Flower of Scotland is inappropriate because some of the sentiments that are expressed in it are jingoistic and anti-English; Scotland the Brave is inappropriate because, although it is a good tune, it does not have words that match the upbeat nature of the music; and Highland Cathedral is a good tune, but it has no words at all".

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) responded to a written request from the Scottish Parliament regarding the petition, whereby they stated that they believed the matter of agreeing a national anthem for Scotland would be "more appropriate for the 35,000 members of the Scotland Supporter's Club members".

The SFA conducted a poll amongst its members and audiences on its social media platforms, with "Flower of Scotland" achieving a narrow victory.

[19] Other songs which have been suggested include Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne",[20] and Hamish Henderson's "Freedom Come-All-Ye".