Unicorn emoji to be released

Some of the new emoji symbols - including the unicorn. Picture: Contributed

Scotland’s national animalis one of a number of new symbols included in the Unicode 8 update published by the Unicode Consortium - the group that effectively standardises emoji and characters across different mobile operating systems.

Along with the unicorn are a bottle with popping cork and a wedge of cheese.

With Apple’s iOS9 update on the verge of being released, iPhone users could soon have the option to add in a number of new emoji symbols just months after software was tweaked to allow customers to change the skin tone of certain symbols.

Users can submit suggestions for new emoji to the Unicode Consortium, who added that the new symbols - hot dog, taco, burrito, cheese, popcorn, bottle with popping cork, turkey and unicorn head were the most popular requests.

Earlier this month, Scots were called to back a campaign for a ginger-haired emoji to be included in a future update.

A petition has collected more than 14,300 signatures supporting the campaign.

Other new emoji symbols include a range of religious icons including a nine-branched menorah and Kaaba; a host of new faces including a zip-mouth face and a face with rolling eyes and several new sports icons including a cricket bat and ball, badminton racquet and shuttlecock and ping-pong bat and ball.