What do you think of this fact?
The US has the bald eagle, Australia has the kangaroo. And Scotland? Scotland’s national animal is the unicorn. Yes, the mythical creature with a horn on its forehead. Not a joke, and not something souvenir shops made up.
A mythical beast with attitude
A unicorn representing a whole country sounds like glitter and rainbows at first. But Scotland’s unicorn has little to do with kids’ room decor. It’s a symbol from heraldry, the art of coats of arms, and closely tied to Scotland’s royal history.
According to an old legend, only a king could overpower and command a unicorn. That’s what makes it the perfect symbol of royal power. Tame the unicorn, and you prove you’re truly in charge.
Why the unicorn wears chains
Take a closer look at the British royal coat of arms. The unicorn there wears chains around its body and a crown around its neck. That doesn’t mean people were scared of it. It means it’s under the command of the monarch.
Since 1603, the royal coat of arms has shown the unicorn for Scotland on one side and the lion for England on the other. Together, the two hold up the shield.
Unicorns everywhere
Walk through Edinburgh and you’ll spot the animal all over the place. At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the city’s royal palace, unicorns show up on gate posts, in wall carvings and on plaster ceilings.
In the early 16th century, a gate lodge was built for King James IV featuring a large, painted stone unicorn. The building is long gone, but the unicorn survives to this day.
A country picking a national animal that nobody has ever seen: that’s either very poetic or very Scottish. Probably both.