Scottish Patriot Andrew Fletcher was born in East Lothian, Saltoun. His father was Sir Robert Fletcher of Saltoun and Innerpeffer. As a young man, Andrew was tutored by Gilbert Burnet, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury. In 1678, at the age of 25, he represented Haddingtonshire at the Convention of Estates.

At this time, Charles II's representative in Scotland was the Duke of Lauderdale. The Duke had taxation powers in Scotland, and maintained a standing army there in the name of the King. Fletcher bitterly opposed the Duke, whose actions only strengthened Fletcher's distrust of the royal government in Scotland, as well as all hereditary power.

In 1681, Fletcher was elected to the Scottish Parliament as member for Haddingtonshire. The year before, Lauderdale was replaced by the Duke of York. At this time, Fletcher was a member of the opposition in Scottish Parliament where he resolutely opposed anything he found to be arbitrary actions on the part of the Church or state. In 1683, after being charged with sedition and acquitted, he fled Scotland to join with English opponents of King Charles. Fletcher joined Monmouth in Holland and sailed back to England with his force in 1685. Before Monmouth's rebellion could take place, though, Fletcher lost his temper in a quarrel and shot the Mayor of Taunton. He was forced to flee the country again, and this time joined William of Orange in Holland. Fletcher returned to Scotland in 1688. His alliance with William faded, however, when Fletcher decided that William would be just another king who put England ahead of Scotland.

Increasingly, Fletcher defended his country's claims over English interests, as well as opposing royal power. In 1697, he wrote A Discourse of Government with Relation to Militias, in which he argued that the royal army in Scotland should be replaced by local militias. In 1698, he wrote Two Discourses Concerning the Affairs of Scotland, in which he discussed the problems of Scottish trade and economics.

In 1703, Fletcher went back to Parliament once again, as a representative for Haddingtonshire. Now, Queen Anne was on the throne, and there was a campaign afoot to join England and Scotland, thus closing the "back door" to England that Scotland represented to invaders. Fletcher's debates on this issue made him famous. He argued against an 'incorporating union' and for a federal union, and was opposed to centralized power. He also sought to protect Scotland's nationhood. Through these debates, Fletcher was recognized as a man of integrity, whose personal interests did not influence his position; he became known as an independent patriot.

In 1707, the Act of Union was approved by Scottish Parliament, officially uniting Scotland with England to form Great Britain. Fletcher turned from politics in despair and devoted the rest of his life to farming and agricultural development in Scotland.