Annandale and Robert the Bruce

The Annandale Arms (left, top) are based on those used by Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) as Lord of Annandale (left, below), while the Annandale Tartan (above) combines elements of the "Old Bruce" and "Bruce" Tartans. The Academy's colors are red and gold, taken from the original Bruce of Annandale arms, and the mascot is a lion, from the Bruce crest. Rosemary, the plant badge of Clan Bruce, is traditionally included in corsages for AMA formal balls, and is strewn in the aisles of the Chapel for the Gold Star Service.

"All for Annandale," the school song, is sung to the tune of "Scots Wha Ha'e," a poem written by Robert Burns to represent the speech The Bruce gave to his troops before the Battle of Bannockburn.

The literary magazine is The Spider, from the legend that The Bruce, having lost a series of battles to the English, was hiding in a cave when he happened to notice a spider working to spin a web. She tried and failed repeatedly, but, after much effort, finally succeeded. Taking a lesson in persistence from the tiny animal, the king rallied his troops again, and defeated the English under Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn (23-24 June, 1314).

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