'Black Bitch'

Linlithgow, where I live boasts two coats of arms (three if you count the merged version). Only four burghs in Scotland can say that. One is St Michael despatching a dragon and the other is a dog tied to a tree. It was probably based on a treasured hunting dog but folklore has a way of muddying the waters. A popular version is the tale of a criminal being sentenced to death by starvation whilst* chained to a tree on an island in the loch. But as time went on he seemed hale and hearty. It seems his dog was ferrying supplies to him by swimming to the island at night. The authorities took issue with this and chained the dog up too. A grisly end. However it has evolved over time to represent people from Linlithgow as being loyal. (and particularly cruel?)

* Apologies for 'whilst'