The recent correspondence on a Scottish national anthem is timely and worthy of a great deal of thought because Scotland stands on the threshold of a new socio-political era, with the increasing likelihood of achieving independence in the near future.

Do the current anthems, such as Flower of Scotland, Freedom Come A Ye and even, perhaps, the more recent Highland Cathedral and Scotland the Brave, actually deal with Scotland as it exists today and will continue to do so into the future, with an increasingly multi-racial, multi-religious, more open and socio-economically viable society?

If these anthems fail to address these factors, then Scotland needs a new, all-embracing, truly "national" anthem which will last for generations to come and which reflect the changing patterns of national life over the years.

Perhaps The Herald should run a competition, with the public asked to choose from the final two or three of the submissions, the winning one being submitted to the Scottish Parliament for final approval.

Ian F M Saint-Yves, Whiting Bay, Arran.