Scotland's Unicorn

Most countries have a real animal that stands for them. India chose the tiger. Canada made the beaver official by law. Australia has never officially declared one at all, although everybody thinks of the kangaroo. Scotland, in the north of the island of Great Britain, picked the unicorn. That is not a joke or a modern idea — Scottish kings put the unicorn on their coins and their badges hundreds of years ago, and you can still find it carved on gates and buildings all over the country.

To understand why, you need to know about heraldry. Long ago, a knight in armour was almost impossible to recognise, so families, cities and kingdoms painted picture-badges on their shields and flags so that everyone could tell who was who. Those badges are called coats of arms, and reading and designing them is called heraldry. Every single part of a coat of arms is supposed to mean something.

The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom has two supporters: a lion and a unicorn. The lion stands for England and the unicorn stands for Scotland. Both of them are drawn up on their back legs — but look closely, because they are not dressed the same. In the version used in England, the lion wears a crown on its head. The unicorn does not.