Unicorns names revealed!
We are delighted to reveal the names of our beautiful unicorn sculptures which adorn the top of our building, once the Castlehill School. Our two mythical creatures have been named following a competition which received over 1500 entries and the winning names are… Deoch and Doras. The names could not be more fitting celebrating a well-loved Gaelic Scottish phrase “deoch an dorais”, meaning ‘a farewell drink” or “one for the road’, literally drink o the door.
The theme was a popular idea and there were a number of entries suggesting versions of these names, with a few spelling variations so we sought the advice of Bòrd na Gàidhlig who explained that the spelling changes according to grammar and suggested the spellings that we have adopted.
For perfect pronunciation Bòrd na Gàidhlig has directed us to these useful audio links, allowing us to our team introduce Deoch and Doras with confidence. You can hear the beautiful Gaelic lilt of their names here:
The unicorns were restored as part of a huge restoration project of our nineteenth century Victorian sandstone building on Castlehill, the top section of The Royal Mile within the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The unicorns had long lost their timber horns due to the ravages of time and weather so fitting replacements were lovingly crafted, giving us the idea to involve locals and visitors in naming the statues.
We were surprised and very impressed by the imagination and thought that people put into naming our unicorns. Many of the more than 1,500 suggestions showed a deep affection for Scotland’s culture, language and folklore, which is exactly the kind of connection we hope to inspire as we bring the world of Scotch whisky to life. We feel that ‘Deoch and Doras’ captured something uniquely Scottish, with a warm and fun connection to Scotch whisky.