New sculpture is mane attraction this National Unicorn Day

A new sculpture celebrating Scotland’s national animal will be unveiled one of the country’s leading art attractions this week.

The 7ft unicorn sculpture, designed and created by willow artist Woody Fox, takes pride of place within the 55-acre Crawick Multiverse artland in Dumfries & Galloway as Scotland’s links to the mythical creature are celebrated across the country as part of National Unicorn Day (9 April).

The fabled creature is a proud symbol of nobility and power and has been the nation’s favoured beast since the 14^th century.

Unicorns were written about by the ancient Persians, Romans, Greeks and Celts, and were often described as an elegant white horse-like creature with a single horn capable of magical properties.

They’ve been linked to Scotland for centuries and were used as an early form of the Scottish coat of arms by William I in the late 1300s.

In honour of National Unicorn Day (9 April), VisitScotland is challenging people across the country to embark on their own unicorn hunt and take a quest in search of tributes to our national animal.

Place to ‘unicorn spot’ include:

• Outside the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle,
• The Queen’s Gallery in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh
• The fountain in the courtyard at Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian. 
• Stirling Castle which is home to the beautiful Mystic Hunt of the Unicorn tapestry.
• The Mercat Cross in Dunfermline, Jedburgh, Melrose, Culross, Crail and Cupar, not to mention all of Scotland’s cities.
• The HM Frigate Unicorn in Dundee is Scotland’s only surviving example of a wooden warship and one of the six oldest ships in the world.
• The Fife town of Falkland takes a starring role in the hit TV series Outlander and right bang in its centre you’ll find a unicorn statue. 
• On the Black Isle, you can visit the Stables in Cromarty a converted Georgian building which now houses a gallery and studios, as well as its very own unicorn. The magnificent life-size sculpture provides a magical welcome to visitors of all ages.
• In Dumfries & Galloway, Quests and Retreats offers dedicated Unicorn Quests exploring the landscapes and forests of the region in search for the elusive creature, which might just make a rare appearance.
• On May 27^th, organisers of the Knockengorroch World Ceilidh Music Festival are aiming to break the world record for the highest number of ‘unicorns’ in one place.

To find out more about unicorn lore or for more magical ideas of where to go unicorn-spotting visit www.visitscotland.com/unicorn