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Since the passing of theTreaty of Union in 1707 which unified theKingdom of Scotland with theKingdom of England to the create theKingdom of Great Britain, Scottish armed forces were merged with the English armed forces and remain part of the overallBritish Armed Forces.
The British Armed Forces presence inScotland include military bases and units based in or associated with the country from all three services; TheBritish Army (regular andArmy Reserve), theRoyal Air Force (RAF) and theRoyal Navy.Roughly there are 11,100 Scottish soldiers part of the Regular Armed Forces, 4,000Ministry of Defence civilian personnel, 2,200Volunteer Reserves. By 2020, Scotland's Regular Armed Forces personnel was expected to rise to 12,500, whilst the number of Trained Volunteer Reserves was projected to increase to 4,250. In 2014, the total number of army personnel in Scotland was 17,300.[1]
Scotland's geographical proximity to theNorth Atlantic and theHigh North make it an important component of the overall United Kingdom's defence and security. Military bases in Scotland, includingRAF Lossiemouth andHMNB Clyde are significant to theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) northward defence. The country is home to 113 military establishments, including the United Kingdom'sTrident nuclear power programme,Cape Wrath which is the only naval gunfire and firing range in the UK, theBenbecula live fire range for theMultiple Launch Rocket System and a NATO exercise area in Galloway Forest.[2]
From 2020, Scotland is home to one of only threeRoyal Navy main bases whereby all submarines of the Royal Navy are based in Scotland, one of the seven Adaptable Force Brigades of the British Army and aRoyal Air Force fast jet main operating base.[3]
In 1262, theKingdom of Scotlandinvaded Norway beginning a war which lasted until 1266 and resulted in theTreaty of Perth. Conflict between Scotland andNorway began over disagreements of who controlled theHebrides off the coast of Scotland, however, Scotland later recognised Norwegian sovereignty over bothShetland andOrkney, purchasing the islands from Norway for a sum of 4,000marks. Under the terms of the Treaty of Perth, Norway acknowledged Scottish sovereignty over territory it had disputed with Scotland. The payment was paid over the course of subsequent decades, until its cancellation as part of the agreement for the marriage ofJames III of Scotland andMargaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland in 1469.[4]
Before relinquishing its independence in 1707, the Kingdom of Scotland was an independentsovereign state and over the course of its history had engaged in various military battles with theKingdom of England, particularly over the issue of theWars of Scottish Independence. TheFirst War of Scottish Independence began following theEnglish invasion of Scotland in 1296 until thede jure restoration of Scottish independence with theTreaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328, lasting a total of thirty-two years.[5]De facto independence was established in 1314 at theBattle of Bannockburn. The wars were caused by the attempts of the English kings to establish their authority over Scotland, while the Scots fought to keep English rule and authority out of Scotland.[6]
Asecond war between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England began in 1332 following the invasion of Scotland byEdward Balliol and lasted until 1357. TheKing of England,Edward III, invaded Scotland in 1333 and besieged the important trading town ofBerwick. A large Scottish army attempted to relieve it but was heavily defeated at theBattle of Halidon Hill. Scotland had established an alliance with theKingdom of France, known as theAuld Alliance. France was unhappy about an English expansion into Scotland and so covertly supported and financed the loyalists ofDavid II of Scotland. Allies ofJohn Balliol fell out among themselves and Balliol lost control of most of Scotland by late 1334. In early 1335, the French attempted to broker a peace but failed. Further French-sponsored peace talks failed in 1336 and by May 1337, KingPhilip VI of France engineered a clear break between France and England, starting theHundred Years' War.[7]
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Prior to theTreaty of Union 1707, theKingdom of Scotland's army was theScots Army and their navy was theRoyal Scots Navy. At theRestoration in 1660 thePrivy Council of Scotland established a force of several infantry regiments and a few troops of horse to act as astanding army. These included a troop ofLife Guards, a second troop of which was raised in 1661, Lieutenant-generalWilliam Drummond's Regiment of Horse, five independent troops of horse, a regiment of Foot Guards, later known as theScots Guards andLe Regiment de Douglas, formed and serving in France since 1633, which returned and eventually became theRoyal Regiment of Foot.[8][9]
There were also attempts to found a nationalmilitia of 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse on theEnglish model. The standing army was mainly employed in suppressingCovenanter rebellions and the guerrilla war waged by theCameronians in the East.[10] In addition, a "Foote Company of Highland Men" was raised[9] and three troops of Scots Dragoons in 1678. Another three were added to makeThe Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons in 1681, by which point they were already mounted on grey horses that would give them their name of the Royal Scots Greys.[11] On the eve of theGlorious Revolution the standing army in Scotland was about 3,000 men in various regiments and another 268 veterans in the major garrison towns, at an annual cost of about £80,000.[12]
Under the terms of theTreaty of Union between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England, the Scots Army was integrated with the English army. It became part of the British Armed Forces.[13] Following areferendum on devolution for Scotland in 1997, aScottish Parliament was re–established together with anexecutive which operate under theScotland Act 1998.
Defence and national security remain reserved matters under the Scotland Act 1998 which mean they are the overall responsibility of the UK parliament and reserved matters are set out in schedule 5 of theScotland Act 1998.[14] The UK Government claims that Scotland's geography, and military capabilities is essential for the UK and NATO's defence and security in theNorth Atlantic and theHigh North. The UK government identified the following factors that may influence priorities in these regions;
TheUK Government pledged to increase the regular armed forces to 12,500 by 2020, which has not been met and has thus been criticised by the Scottish Government.[16][17]
The Scottish government argues that Westminster's commitment to nuclear weapons has weakened other aspects of Scottish defence, and that Trident renewal will reduce funding for conventional equipment and the number of service personnel. They also claim that "cost overruns are endemic and major projects have been significantly delayed" and use the example of two aircraft carriers built before the availability of aircraft for them.[18]
Today, theRoyal Regiment of Scotland – the mostsenior and onlyScottish regimentline infantry of the British Army – consists of severalinfantrybattalions, namely, theRoyal Highland Fusiliers (2 SCOTS), theBlack Watch (3 SCOTS), theHighlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) (4 SCOTS), and theBalaklava Company, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 SCOTS). The reserve battalions include the52nd Lowland Volunteers, 6th Battalion (6 SCOTS), the51st Highland Volunteers, 7th Battalion (7 SCOTS), theBand of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and theLowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The Royal Scots Borderers (1 SCOTS) was disbanded in 2021, with its personnel forming the1st Battalion of the newly formedRanger Regiment (1 RANGERS).[19]
TheScots Guards is one of the fiveFoot Guardsregiments of theBritish Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of KingCharles I of England and Scotland.
Whilst defence and security remain areserved matter to the UK Government under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Government does have a role to play in terms of supporting Scotland's military personnel and veterans.[20]
The Scottish Government advocates that it "aims to put the needs of the armed forces and veterans community at the forefront of policy thinking, development and delivery" as it "recognises the sacrifice of the armed forces, veterans and their families".[21] A junior ministerial post was created in theScottish Government underFirst MinisterHumza Yousaf.[22]
TheMinister for Veterans provides an update to theScottish Parliament annually on the governments work relating to community support for Scotland's personnel and veterans. The Minister for Veterans is responsible for ensuring Scottish Government support is in place for veterans and currently serving personnel.[23]
The main objectives of the Scottish Government through its policy approach to supporting Scottish military personnel and veterans are:[21]
In the event of Scotlandregaining its independence, theScottish Government would establish a Scottish Armed Forces and work with the UK Government for the transfer of defence personnel to the newly established Scottish armed forces. The Scottish Government would conduct a Defence and Security Review to examine the components required for defence and security of an independent Scotland. The Scottish Government has long advocated for the removal ofnuclear weapons from Scotland, such as the Trident nuclear programme.[24] It is proposed the make up of the Scottish Armed Forces would include land, sea and air components which the creation of a new Joint Forces Headquarters would oversee. The Scottish Security and Intelligence Agency would serve as the security and intelligence body of the Scottish Government.[25]
The Scottish Government advocates that an independent Scotland join theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)] and would begin discussions and negotiations with NATO and its member states on Scotland's accession. An independent Scotland would commit 2% of itsGross Domestic Product (GDP) towards defence spending in accordance with the commitment from NATO to invest in defence capabilities. Additionally, the Scottish Government supports membership of theEuropean Union (EU) for an independent Scotland and, as such, would participate in theCommon Security and Defence Policy of the EU. Following independence, the Scottish Government pledges the continuation of a robust and strong partnership between the Scottish and British Armed Forces, along with theRepublic of Ireland, towards the security and protection of the widerBritish Isles.[24]
In 2024, the Scottish Government'sCabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture,Angus Robertson, confirmed that an independent Scotland would only involve itself in international overseas operations that "were lawful" and if any military action was supported by boththe cabinet of the government and theScottish Parliament.[24]
The military presence in Scotland as of 2021 consisted of the following:
As of April 2021, the Regular Armed Forces in Scotland included 3,790 in the Army, 4,270 in the Navy and 2,060 in the Air Force.[16]
The following table lists the annual public expenditure allocated to Scotland from 2013/14 to 2021/22 according to theOffice for National Statistics ,and below is theMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom) expenditure in Scotland itself:
| Year | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allocated to Scotland £m (current price)[26] | 3,021 | 3,034 | 3,021 | 3,055 | 3,174 | 3,293 | 3,451 | 3,630 | 3,972 |
| Spent in Scotland £m (% of UK spend)[27] | 1,316 | 1,407 | 1,523 | 1,585 | 1,649 | 1,758 | 2,066 | 1,989 | 2,010 |
| Difference £m[26][27] | 1,705 | 1,627 | 1,498 | 1,470 | 1,525 | 1,535 | 1,385 | 1,641 | 1,962 |
The UK government views the UK's defence as being "stronger and safer" with cooperative Scottish participation in the combined defence and security of the UK.[28] The UK government claims for 2021/22 that defence spending per capita was £370 in Scotland and £310 for the whole of the UK.[29]
In 2023, then First MinisterHumza Yousaf said that an independent Scotland would aim to maintain 2% GDP defence spending to meet theNATO target.[30][31]
The centre of Army operations in Scotland isLeuchars Station inFife, the base for theRoyal Scots Dragoon Guards, which also housesRoyal Engineers,Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, andRoyal Military Police units.[16]Robin Lindsay is the Military Secretary and General Officer Scotland.[32]
In 2021, UK Defence SecretaryBen Wallace made a commitment that the number of battalions stationed in Scotland would increase from six to seven units and that the Army in Scotland would be a "greater proportion of the Army than today". He also said thatKinloss andLeuchars bases would be expanded.[33]
Redford Barracks is set to close in 2029 andFort George is set to close in 2032 as part of the UK government's Future Soldier plan.[34][35]
TheBlack Watch battalion will relocate fromFort George barracks toLeuchars (both in Scotland) in 2029. This would mean closure of Fort George in 2029 rather than 2032 as originally planned and the return of the Black Watch to the traditional recruiting area ofTayside.[36]
His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde, commonly known as Faslane, houses the nuclear-armed Vanguard 15 class submarines that form the "At-Sea Nuclear Deterrent". The base also houses the Astute Class of attack submarines and a frigate acting as a Towed Array Patrol ship operates that protect Trident-equipped submarines and perform anti-submarine activities.[15]
Due to retreat of arctic ice, it is possible that maritime activity in the High North will increase with a further emphasis on RN activities from Scotland. This is made more likely by Russian emphasis on arctic naval activity.[15]
The Scottish government and a cross-party majority in the Scottish Parliament is opposed to having nuclear weapons in Scotland. In the event ofScottish independence, which is supported by the Scottish government, the nuclear programme will be moved out of Scotland "at pace".[51][52] The SNP have claimed that Scotland spends £180m annually on Trident alone, and so £180m would be saved each year with the removal of Trident and independence.[53]
In the event of Scottish independence, theMOD of the UK's preferred option would be to move the at-sea nuclear deterrent base toDevonport naval base in Plymouth. The UK government has no plans to move Trident otherwise.[54]
RAF assets in Scotland operate in defence of the North Atlantic and the High North via; surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and Quick Reaction Alert jets from Lossiemouth base, which is the primary air base in Scotland.[15] The Air Officer Scotland is Air-Vice MarshallRoss Paterson.[65]
Surveillance of theGreenland-Iceland-UK gap (GIUK gap) also occurs from Lossiemouth which contributes to Iceland's policing. The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is used in the GIUK gap and for anti-submarine warfare. Norwegian P-8As also use facilities at Lossiemouth, and the RAF also uses Norwegian bases. The Norwegian Ambassador says this provides cost savings and operational flexibility.[15]
Twice a yearExercise Joint Warrior utilises the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and British Army, in cooperation with forces from 13 other countries in order to test NATO's 'Very High Readiness' forces.[68]
As of 2017, there were around 230,000 veterans living in Scotland.[69]
The Scottish government's policy on supporting veterans has included:
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