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The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the
senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
and only Scottish
line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Mon ...
regiment of the
British Army Infantry The Infantry of the British Army comprises 49 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these, 33 battalions are part of the Regular army and the remaining 16 a part of the Army Reserve. The British Army's Infantry takes on a variety of roles ...
. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and two
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US ...
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
s, plus an incremental company, each formerly an individual regiment (with the exception of the former first battalion (now disbanded and reformed into the 1st Bn Rangers based in Northern Ireland), which is an amalgamation of two regiments). However, three regular battalions maintain their former regimental pipes and drums to carry on the traditions of their antecedent regiments.


History

As part of restructuring in the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
, the Royal Regiment of Scotland's creation was announced by the
Secretary of State for Defence The secretary of state for defence, also referred to as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Ministry of Defence. The incumbent is a membe ...
, Geoff Hoon in the House of Commons on 16 December 2004, after the merger of several regiments and the reduction in total regular infantry battalions from 40 to 36 was outlined in the defence
white paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...
, '' Delivering Security in a Changing World'', several months earlier. The regiment consisted originally of a total of seven battalions: one of these was formed by the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers, while the others are each formed from one of the remaining single-battalion regiments of the Scottish Division. Of all of the new regiments formed following the announcement of 16 December 2004, the Royal Regiment of Scotland is the only one where the former regimental titles have been prominently retained with the new numbered battalion designations as subtitles. There is however a common regimental cap badge, tactical recognition flash (TRF), tartan, stable belt and Glengarry headdress but distinctively coloured hackles are also worn by each separate battalion on the Tam o' Shanter headdress to maintain their individual identity and the pipes and drums of each battalion continue to wear the ceremonial uniforms and tartans of their former regiments. Along with
the Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...
, the Royal Regiment of Scotland is also one of only two
line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Mon ...
regiments to maintain its own regular
military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...
within the Royal Corps of Army Music, which was formed through the amalgamation of the Highland band and Lowland band of the Scottish Division. In addition, there are two Territorial bands, the Highland Band and the
Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland The Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland is a military band in the Territorial Army and one of three military bands in the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The band is based at the East Claremont Street drill hall in Edinburgh and is adminis ...
, which are administered by the regiment's two Territorial battalions. The regiment also has previously had its own Parachute Display Team, the
Golden Lions The Golden Lions (currently known as the Sigma Golden Lions for sponsorship reasons) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg who compete in the annual Currie Cup and Rugby Challenge. The team is governed by the ...
(disbanded in 2011) and
shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and ...
team,
the Scots Shinty Club SCOTS Camanachd is the only shinty team in the British Armed Forces. History It was established in 1994 by Fraser MacKenzie and the club originally played under the name of the Queen's Own Highlanders. They continued as the Highlanders Shinty ...
. In 1948, every regiment of
line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that composed the basis of European land armies from the late 17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Turenne and Mon ...
was reduced to a single battalion. The subsequent process of reducing the overall number of infantry regiments in the Army through disbandment or amalgamation of the traditional county regiments that were formalised in the
Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation wa ...
of 1881 to form larger multi-battalion regiments, has continued to affect most of the
British Army Infantry The Infantry of the British Army comprises 49 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these, 33 battalions are part of the Regular army and the remaining 16 a part of the Army Reserve. The British Army's Infantry takes on a variety of roles ...
since the 1957 Defence White Paper outlined the first mergers. The creation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland encountered considerable opposition amongst former soldiers, and
nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
groups. The new regiment is also primarily a kilted one and there are concerns that the much older Lowland units, which traditionally wore trews, will be effectively absorbed into a
Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
tradition. However, the Ministry of Defence's case that change was necessary to enhance operational efficiency through
economies of scale In microeconomics, economies of scale are the cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to their scale of operation, and are typically measured by the amount of output produced per unit of time. A decrease in cost per unit of output enables ...
, improve and create more flexible conditions of service and to resolve chronic recruiting and retention problems amongst the eight single-battalion Scottish regiments appears to have been accepted by the majority of serving personnel, and indeed was recommended by the then Chief of the General Staff, Sir Mike Jackson. Jackson delegated the decision on how the reduction of battalions would be achieved to the Council of Scottish Colonels. The Council recommended that the Royal Scots should be amalgamated with the King's Own Scottish Borderers reflecting the former regiment's long term poor recruiting record and high reliance on Commonwealth recruits. The status of the Black Watch was particularly controversial. When the confirmed plan to amalgamate the regiments was announced, 1st Battalion The Black Watch was deployed away from Basra at Camp Dogwood in a relatively dangerous region of
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. Hoon was accused by the SNP of "stabbing the soldiers in the back" and being motivated purely by political and administrative concerns, with little regard to the effect on morale. This controversy was further exacerbated in the minds of some by the fact that the
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
of the Black Watch,
Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Alistair Irwin Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Stuart Hastings Irwin, (born 27 August 1948) is a retired British Army officer and a former Adjutant-General to the Forces. Early life Irwin was born on 27 August 1948 in Dundee. He was educated at Lambrook pr ...
, was a member of the Army Board at the time that the options to change the size and structure of the infantry by forming large regiments, including to amalgamate regiments of the Scottish Division into a single regiment, were being considered in the Ministry of Defence and final decisions taken. The regiment was initially formed of six regular and two Territorial battalions on 28 March 2006. On 1 August 2006, the Royal Scots Battalion and King's Own Scottish Borderers Battalion were amalgamated into the 1st Battalion,
Royal Scots Borderers The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS) was an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The battalion formed on 1 August 2006 when its antecedent regiments - the Royal Scots and the King's ...
, leaving the final regular roll of five regular battalions. In 2012, as part of the Army 2020 programme, it was announced that the 5th Battalion, while not losing its name, connection and history as the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
, would be reduced to the status of an incremental company, similar to the three companies in the
Guards Division The Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the training and administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Guards reserve battalion. The Guards Division is responsible for providing two b ...
, and be transferred to become a permanent public duties unit in Scotland. On 1 December 2021, as part of the Future Soldier programme, the 1st Battalion (Royal Scots Borderers), was disbanded and subsequently reformed as part of the new Ranger Regiment and based in Northern Ireland.


Organisation

All battalions in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, to preserve regional ties and former regimental identities, took the name of their former individual regiments. The order of battle is as follows: * Regimental Headquarters Staff **Regimental Headquarters, Royal Regiment of Scotland, at
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
*** 2 SCOTS Home HQ, at
Glencorse Barracks Glencorse Barracks is a British Army barracks situated in Glencorse just outside the town of Penicuik in Midlothian, Scotland. It is one of the three barracks which make up the City of Edinburgh Garrison, with Dreghorn and Redford Barracks. It ...
,
Penicuik, Midlothian Penicuik ( ; sco, Penicuik; gd, Peighinn na Cuthaig) is a town and former burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River North Esk. It lies on the A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hills. ...
*** 3 SCOTS Home HQ, at
Queen's Barracks Queen's Barracks was a military installation in Perth, Scotland. History The barracks were established in the north west of the city as a home for cavalry regiments in 1793. It became the home to the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) and it was ...
,
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
*** 4 SCOTS Home HQ, at Cameron Barracks,
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histor ...
*** 5 SCOTS Home HQ, at Forthside Barracks,
Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
*Regular Battalions/Company **
Royal Highland Fusiliers The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Prior to 28 March 2006, the Royal Highland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment in its own right, ...
, 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, at
Glencorse Barracks Glencorse Barracks is a British Army barracks situated in Glencorse just outside the town of Penicuik in Midlothian, Scotland. It is one of the three barracks which make up the City of Edinburgh Garrison, with Dreghorn and Redford Barracks. It ...
, Penicuik (Light Infantry)4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East ** The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, at Fort George,
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histor ...
(Light Mechanised Infantry)51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland ** The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, at Bourlon Barracks, Catterick GarrisonThe Red Hackle November 2012
(Mechanised Infantry)1st Armoured Infantry Brigade ** Balaklava Company, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, at Redford Barracks,
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
( Public duties) – 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland * Reserve Battalions ** 52nd Lowland Volunteers, 6th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland (AR), at Walcheren Barracks,
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
(Light Infantry) — paired with 2 SCOTS – 4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East **
51st Highland Volunteers The 51st Highland Volunteers (51 HIGHLAND) is a battalion in the British Army's Army Reserve or reserve force in the Scottish Highlands, forming the 7th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 7 SCOTS. It is one of two R ...
, 7th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland (AR), at
Queen's Barracks Queen's Barracks was a military installation in Perth, Scotland. History The barracks were established in the north west of the city as a home for cavalry regiments in 1793. It became the home to the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) and it was ...
,
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
(Light Infantry) — paired with 3 SCOTS – 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland The Regiment also currently has three military bands and four pipes and drums: *
Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland is one of the three official military bands of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and is based at Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh. The bandsmen wear the feather bonnet with a red over white hackle and scarlet ...
, at Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh *
Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland The Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland is a military band in the Territorial Army and one of three military bands in the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The band is based at the East Claremont Street drill hall in Edinburgh and is adminis ...
(Reserve) – Part of 6 SCOTS at East Claremont Street drill hall,
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
* Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Reserve) – Part of 7 SCOTS at
Queen's Barracks Queen's Barracks was a military installation in Perth, Scotland. History The barracks were established in the north west of the city as a home for cavalry regiments in 1793. It became the home to the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) and it was ...
,
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
* Pipe Bands: ** Pipes and Drums of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland ** Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland ** Pipes and Drums of The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland ** Pipes and Drums of 51st Highland, 7th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (Reserve) * At the creation of the Regiment in 2006 there were five additional pipes and drums: **Pipes and Drums of 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (Reserve). Disbanded in 2007. ** Pipes and Drums of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. Disbanded in 2013, with the reduction of the 5th Battalion to Balaklava Company. ** Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. Disbanded February 2021. ***Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots, disbanded in August 2006 following merger into Royal Scots Borderers ***Pipes and Drums of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, disbanded in August 2006 following merger into Royal Scots Borderers The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland falls within the Royal Corps of Army Music. The reserve bands are administered by the Royal Corps of Army Music, though fall under the command of their respective battalions.


Regimental museum

The Museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) and the Royal Regiment of Scotland The Museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) and the Royal Regiment of Scotland is a regimental museum displaying the collections of the Royal Scots and the Royal Regiment of Scotland. It is based in the Royal Scots drill hall (built in 1900 ...
is located in
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
. Operating as an independent museum, the exhibits include dioramas, uniforms, medals, weapons, drums, ceremonial regalia and silver. Displays focus on the regiment's activities since its founding up to contemporary Army life.


Colonel-in-chief

The regiment's Colonel-in-Chief was The Queen. The colonels-in-chief of the constituent regiments making up the new regiment have become the Royal Colonels of their representative battalions: * 2nd Battalion: ''vacant'' * 3rd Battalion: The King * 4th Battalion: ''vacant'' * 5th Battalion: ''vacant'' * 6th Battalion:
The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been sev ...
* 7th Battalion: The Duke of Rothesay The position is vacant following the death of
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
in September 2022. The position is now vacant since the Duke of Edinburgh's death in April 2021.


Uniform and dress


Cap badge and motto

In August 2005, the new regimental
cap badge A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...
was unveiled at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The design was the result of a collaborative effort, led by Brigadier Andrew Mackay, along with other serving and retired officers and
Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australi ...
s, with advice from the
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants ...
. The new cap badge incorporates the Saltire of St Andrew and the Lion Rampant of the Royal Standard of Scotland, which are two prominent national symbols. The cap badge is surmounted by a crown, in this case the Crown of Scotland. The regiment's motto is ''
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit ''Nemo me impune lacessit'' (''No one provokes me with impunity'') () was the Latin motto of the Royal Stuart dynasty of Scotland from at least the reign of James VI when it appeared on the reverse side of merk coins minted in 1578 and 1580. ...
'' (No One Assails Me With Impunity)—which is the motto of the
Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland, who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The O ...
, Scotland's highest
order of chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concept ...
, and was also the motto of four of the pre-existing Scottish regiments.


Dress

The new regiment's various
Dress Uniforms Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, inclu ...
incorporate a number of "golden threads" from the antecedent regiments. Some of the most prominent include: * All battalions wear the Lowland pattern Glengarry, this pattern was in fact also common to the
Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...
and
Gordon Highlanders Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gord ...
, as well as the Lowland
Royal Highland Fusiliers The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Prior to 28 March 2006, the Royal Highland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment in its own right, ...
, Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers regiments. * In No. 1 and No. 2 pattern dress, all battalions wear Blackcock tail feathers attached to the Glengarry in a tradition taken from the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers. * The regimental motto of the Highlanders, ''Cuidich 'n Righ'' (Aid the King), has been incorporated into the Royal Scots Thistle pattern collar dogs worn on the No.1 and No.2 pattern doublet or Service Dress jacket. * The tartan adopted by the new regiment is Government 1A (sometimes known as Sutherland), a version of the Government (Black Watch) tartan worn by the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
. *The Pipes and Drums of each battalion preserve the ceremonial dress of the antecedent regiments. Thus 2 SCOTS pipers and drummers wear Government no 11 tartan, Red Erskine, 3 SCOTS drummers wear no 1, Black Watch, and pipers wear Royal Stewart, 4 SCOTS pipers and drummers wear no 4, Cameron of Erracht, and 7 SCOTS pipers wear Royal Stewart (see Government tartans). * The kilt is sewn in a box pleat style, as worn by the 2nd Battalion Black Watch,
Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...
, Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) and the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
. The
Sporran The sporran (; Scottish Gaelic and Irish for " purse"), a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress, is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporra ...
is in the horsehair style worn by the
Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw service ...
and
Gordon Highlanders Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gord ...
, with a brass Black Watch cantle. * The Black and Red diced
Hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called '' pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally ...
and scarlet Garter flashes are in a style worn by the Black Watch. The Spats with black buttons, worn over the Brogues, are in a style worn by the
Gordon Highlanders Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gord ...
, with a point to the rear, as worn by the Black Watch. * The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland wears the Feather bonnet with a red over white hackle and scarlet Doublet in Full Dress Uniform.


Hackles

While in PCS combat dress, each battalion wears its own unique coloured hackle on the Tam O'Shanter: * Members of the Regiment serving in an appointment outside of regimental duty (also formerly the hackle of the former 1st Battalion): Black * 2nd Battalion: White * 3rd Battalion: Red * 4th Battalion: Blue * 5th Battalion: Green * 6th Battalion: Black (was Grey) * 7th Battalion: Black (was Purple)


Mascot

The official mascot is a Shetland pony named Cruachan. He was originally the regimental mascot of the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
prior to the amalgamation. The first pony mascot was presented to the Argylls in 1929 by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll and named after
Ben Cruachan Ben Cruachan ( gd, Cruachan Beann) is a mountain that rises to , the highest in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain. It is the hi ...
, a mountain in the Argylls' namesake lieutenancy, and the war cry of Clan Campbell, of whom the Duke of Argyll was chief. The current mascot is a Shetland pony Cruachan IV who was presented in late 2012.


Alliances

Historic alliances are as follows: ; The Royal Highland Fusiliers * :
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, with companies in Cambridge and Kitchener, and is an infantry sub-unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, Ontario. Th ...
* : The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment * : 11th Battalion, The Baloch Regiment * : Chief Maqoma Regiment ; The Black Watch * : The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada * : 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA * :
The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC) , colors = Gold and black , march = "Old Solomon Levi" , notable_commanders = , anniversaries = , engagements = , battles = S ...
* : The Royal Queensland Regiment * : The Royal New South Wales Regiment * : Solomon Mahlangu Regiment * :
New Zealand Scottish Regiment The New Zealand Scottish Regiment was a regiment of the New Zealand Army. It was formed in 1939 as an infantry regiment and raised two battalions during the Second World War. Although the 1st Battalion was sent overseas during the war as part o ...
* : HMS ''Montrose'' ; The Highlanders * :
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry regiment. Regimental badge The regimental badge is laid out as follows: within a wreath of thistles and maple leaves, the figure of St And ...
* : The 48th Highlanders of Canada * :
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (Ready) , colors = , colors_label = , march = " The Piobaireachd of Donald Dhu" and "March of the Cameron Men" , mascot = , equipment ...
* : The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada * : The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) * : 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment * :
5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment The 5th/6th Battalion ("5/6 RVR") is one of two battalions of the Royal Victoria Regiment, and is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion traces its lineage back to many units that existed prior to Federation, as well as units ...
(formerly 5th Battalion, The Victorian Scottish Regiment) * : The Royal South Australia Regiment * : 16th Battalion, The Royal Western Australia Regiment (formerly 16th Battalion, The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) * : The Otago and Southland Regiment * : The Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay Regiment * :
Gonnema Regiment The Cape Town Highlanders is a reserve mechanised infantry regiment of the South African Army. History Origins Descendants of Scotland, Scottish immigrants to South Africa raised the Cape Town Highlanders in 1885. On 24 April of the same year, ...
* : HMS ''Sutherland'' * : HMS ''Victorious'' ; The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders * : The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) * :
The Calgary Highlanders The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve infantry regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The regiment is a part-time reserve unit, under the command of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, itself part o ...
* : The Royal Queensland Regiment * : The Royal New South Wales Regiment * : 1st Battalion (Scinde), The Frontier Force Regiment * : HMS ''Argyll''


Lineage


See also

* Units of the British Army and the 2004 restructuring * Scots Guards * Royal Scots Dragoon Guards


References


External links

*
MoD press release; Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announces the regimental changes




{{Authority control 2006 establishments in the United Kingdom Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Edinburgh Castle Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Military units and formations established in 2006 Royal Regiment of Scotland, The