India, Oct. 11 -- When you think of a country's national animal, creatures such as lions, tigers or eagles might come to mind. But Scotland has made a rather unusual choice. Its national animal is the unicorn, a mythical creature often depicted as a horse with a single horn on its forehead.

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While unicorns exist only in legends, they have been associated with Scotland for centuries. But why did the country choose a creature that has never been proven to exist?

According to Scotland's official website, Scotland.org, the unicorn has long symbolised qualities such as bravery, strength, determination and purity.

In Celtic mythology...