What makes the unicorn Scotland’s national animal?

When selecting a national animal, countries often choose creatures that hold significant ties to their land. For instance, Tanzania has the giraffe, Indonesia honors the Komodo dragon, and the United States favors both the bald eagle and the bison. Given this pattern, one might expect Scotland to select something like the Highland cow or Shetland pony, but in an unexpected twist, Scotland’s national animal is the unicorn, a mythical horned creature.

The unicorn appears frequently in global films, TV shows, and children's toys. As Scotland’s national animal, it also graces the country’s castles, ships, and mercat crosses. While it may seem an unusual choice, the reason behind it isn’t a national passion for unicorns, but rather a nod to the kingdom’s royal history.

Rainbows, Unicorns, and … the Royal Arms?

The first King of Scots believed to have shown an interest in unicorns was William I, also known as William the Lion, who reigned from 1165–1214. It’s said that William had a unicorn added to the Scottish royal coat of arms, which featured a red Lion Rampant on a yellow background, though no evidence of this has survived.

The oldest surviving example of the royal arms with unicorn supporters can be seen carved into a stone above the entrance to Rothesay Castle. This weathered engraving is believed to date back to the reign of Robert III, which ended in 1406. Unicorns later appeared on Scotland’s currency in 1484 when James III issued gold coins called the unicorn and half-unicorn, valued at 18 and 9 shillings respectively. One side of the coin bore a wavy sun or star, while the other displayed a fierce-looking unicorn supporting the Lion Rampant shield.

The two unicorn supporters are clearly visible on the coat of arms used by James V, who reigned in the early 1500s. When James VI ascended to the English throne as James I in 1603, he made a significant change by merging the Scottish and English coats of arms. In the Scottish version, the unicorn stands in the dominant dexter position (right side from the shield bearer’s perspective), while the English version features the English lion in that spot. To this day, the UK’s royal arms continue to display a lion and a unicorn flanking the shield.

A Unicorn with a Different Hue

For those with a sharp eye, the sight of unicorns on the royal arms often appearing bound in chains might raise a question. This is central to understanding why the unicorn became a symbol for Scottish kings in the first place.

Early depictions of unicorns portrayed them as fierce, untamed creatures—traits that any king would likely want to be associated with. The first written account of a unicorn comes from the ancient Greek historian Ctesias, in his work *Indica*, which was based on tales from traders. He described the unicorn as a horse-like creature with a horn that could cure poison, which was white at the base, black in the middle, and red at the tip. He remarked that 'to capture them alive is impossible,' as they would fight to the death rather than be caught.

A myth emerged that the only way to capture a unicorn was by using a virgin as bait. This idea dates back to the 7th century, when the scholar Isidore of Seville suggested that a unicorn could be 'lulled to sleep' in a young girl’s lap, 'having laid aside all ferocity.' This is likely where the connection between unicorns and virtue originated. The blend of strength and purity may have made the unicorn an ideal symbol for Scottish kings. The chains around the unicorns on the royal arms could represent the king’s power to capture such a formidable creature.

Another theory suggests the unicorn was chosen because, in folklore, it was the *enemy of the lion*, which symbolized England. This could have been a subtle reference to the tensions between Scotland and its southern neighbor. A nursery rhyme called 'The Lion and the Unicorn' tells the story of these creatures vying for supremacy and is thought to have been inspired by James VI and I’s ascension to the English throne. While the oldest surviving version of the rhyme dates back to 1776, it almost certainly existed in oral tradition before that.

While it’s clear that the unicorn became Scotland’s national animal due to its prominent presence in the heraldry of Scottish kings, the exact moment and reason the unicorn first appeared in Scottish heraldry remains a mystery. Along with the theories mentioned above, it’s just as plausible that William I (or whichever monarch started the tradition) simply thought the horned horse was a striking companion to the Lion Rampant shield.