THE ROUND O

A St. Catherine wheel window, twelve feet in diameter, in the upper part of the gable of the south transept of the Arbroath Abbey. It was placed over the altar of St. Catherine, which stood in the south transept. This prominent window is so associated with Arbroath in the minds of its townsmen that its name—the Round O—is occasionally used as a name for the town. The window, which can be seen a long way off at sea, is a welcome landmark to sailors and fishermen. Text extracted from 'Round about the Round O with its Poets', 1883. William the Lion William I (WILLIAM THE LION) 1143-1214 - reigned as King of Scotland from 1165 to 1214. His reign was the longest in Scottish history. He became King following his brother Malcolm IV's death on 9 December 1165 and was crowned on 24 December 1165. Traditionally, William founded Arbroath Abbey, the site of the later Declaration of Arbroath. He became known as "the Lion" because of his flag or standard, a red lion rampant on a yellow background. This went on to become the Royal standard of Scotland; the British Monarch when in Scotland still uses it today. The rampant lion also forms part of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom. The Arbroath Abbey became the burial place of William the Lion.