The SNP came under attack last night after they admitted an astonishing blunder meant Armed Forces Day was left out of plans to mark important events next year.

Official guidance published this week on what flags should be flown above Scottish Government buildings ‘on significant dates’ in 2025 had no mention of the poignant occasion.

The snub, which the SNP-led administration claimed was an error, marked the first time the annual celebration of servicemen and women had been left off the list.

But now the event’s emblem – half of the Union Flag with the message ‘Show Your Support’  – will be hoisted in Scotland after all, and not just in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after the Scottish Mail on Sunday’s intervention.

The guidance was published on Tuesday, but on Friday, within hours of this newspaper asking the reason for the omission, a Scottish Government spokesman responded: ‘The date table has been updated to include Armed Forces Day’, claiming there had been an ‘administration error’.

While the veterans’ event had been left off the list there was no such error surroundings dates to celebrate LGBT History Month, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, plus the pride festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Transgender Remembrance Day was also listed among the plans for flag events as was Autistic Pride Day and World AIDS Day.

Last night, Scottish Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said: ‘It is right that the Scottish Government has corrected its blunder.

‘The former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown established Armed Forces Day so that the contribution of serving personnel is rightly recognised on an annual basis.

‘I hope it doesn’t take a reminder from the Mail on Sunday next year to ensure the Scottish Government flies the Armed Forces Day flag.’

Scottish Conservative shadow veterans minister Edward Mountain said: ‘Credit to the Mail on Sunday for spotting this mistake and ensuring that the SNP government have rectified their error.

‘The flying of the Armed Forces flag means a great deal to veterans and those still serving across the United Kingdom.

‘They will hope that ahead of next year the SNP government will be extra vigilant before sending out this list and that Armed Forces Day will be proudly included straightaway.’

Each year, the officials issue a list of important dates on which various flags are to be flown on dozens of government buildings, with local authorities passed the guidance too.

The guide was first issued by Jack McConnell’s Labour/LibDem coalition government in 2004.

Back then, the only other flags permitted to fly from government buildings were ‘the Saltire, the European flag (Europe Day only), the Red Ensign (Merchant Navy Day only) and the Royal Standard (by special command)’.

By contrast, the latest guidance specifies a dozen different officially-sanctioned flags, with gay and transgender emblems pencilled in for four days compared with only one for the Union Flag.

Armed Forces Day has always been among those key annual occasions since its inception in 2009.

Originally created as Veterans’ Day in 2006 at the behest of Mr Brown, it is held on the final Saturday of June, with events nationwide to mark the service of both current and veteran soldiers, sailors and airmen.

Meanwhile, the Royal Standard has replaced the Union flag when marking the birthdays of many of the Royal Family.

But several of those commemorations – for Princess Anne, Princess Catherine (the Duchess of Rothesay), and Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex (the Earl and Countess of Forfar) – have been axed too since Queen Elizabeth’s passing in 2022.

In the wake of Brexit in 2020, Nicola Sturgeon ordered that the flag of the European Union fly alongside the Saltire over the government’s Victoria Quay offices every day of the year.

And that of Ukraine currently joins them atop the St Andrew’s House headquarters.

Meanwhile, others have been added to the official approved list over the past 20 years.

The LGBTQI+ flag is flown to celebrate LGBT History Month, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, plus the pride festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Transgender Remembrance Day is marked with its own standard, as is Autistic Pride Day and World AIDS Day.

International Workers Memorial Day in April now sees the Saltire lowered to half-mast too.

Only on UK Government buildings north of the border is the Union flag flown every day.

A Scottish Government spokesman said the setting aside of royal birthdays in the guidance originated with the UK Government, using ‘information provided by the Royal Household’.