St. Andrew’s Scottish Church:

Located west of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, St. Andrew’s Scottish Church was built in 1927 to commemorate the soldiers of the Scottish battalions, who fought in this area during the First World War.

A metal plaque is located inside the church indicating to the supposed purpose of this church: to be the burial place for the heart of King Robert the Bruce, a legendary figure from the 14th century, who liberated the Scotts from the British rule. In his will the king had asked for his heart to be buried in Jerusalem.

After his death, a group of knights took off from Scotland on their way to Jerusalem, carrying his heart in a sealed silver box. While on their journey they have encountered a Muslim mob and had to engage in a battle. The brave knights threw King Bruce’s heart at the mob and shouted “a brave heart we shall follow” and immediately commenced the fighting. Only few of them survived. Those who were left returned Bruce’s heart back to Scotland and buried it there. During the construction of this church, the Scotts remembered the will of their beloved King Bruce, and therefore placed the metal plaque in his honor.

Two relatively small and exceptional tombs are hidden in the church’s well-maintained yard. Those are the tombs of two bloodhound dogs that fought along the Scotts in Jerusalem, and were most likely killed during the 1928 riot.