Inside Stirling Castle, the Scottish King's Bedchamber displays a unicorn. Why a unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling is visually dominated by Stirling Castle, in the United Kingdom, Europe. Most of Stirling Castle's main buildings date from the 1400s and 1500s, when it peaked in importance.
{}