Will Scotland choose a third symbol to join the unicorn and thistle? – Scotsman comment

The mighty but mythical unicorn and the humble, spiky thistle have been symbols of Scotland for centuries.

Bagpipes are a symbol of Scotland, although not an officially recognised 'national' one (Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

But are these national emblems – created in war-torn medieval times, long before My Little Pony did much to alter the image of the unicorn – still relevant in the 21st century?

A new petition to the Scottish Parliament is urging MSPs to help create a “national conversation” about adding another that better reflects modern Scotland.

Catherine Cooper says the new symbol should try to encompass "wisdom, justice and compassion" – words engraved on the Scottish Parliament’s rather medieval mace – and could form part of a “campaign to unite us”.

Given its thistle masthead, The Scotsman is no disinterested spectator in this debate.

So, what could this new icon be? Cynics might quip that, given our infamously poor diet and fondness for alcohol, a deep-fried Mars Bar and a bottle of Buckfast would be apt.

Those in search of inspiration from nature might be inclined towards an animal like the golden eagle. Once hunted to near-extinction, this majestic bird could symbolise the “wisdom, justice and compassion” of ongoing efforts to conserve Scotland’s flora and fauna and the need to find a better way to live alongside wild animals.

Other symbols are personifications of virtues, like the Statue of Liberty in New York.

But perhaps, if modern Scotland is to have a new symbol, if this would actually be of any benefit, it should be one that celebrates the ordinary, individual human, based on the traditional and liberal saying that “we are all Jock Tamson’s bairns”, we are all equal.

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