| Royal Regiment of Scotland | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge | |
| Active | 28 March 2006 – present |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | 2nd Battalion: Light Infantry 3rd Battalion: Light Mechanised Infantry 4th Battalion:Light Infantry Balaklava Coy:Public duties 6th Battalion:Army Reserve 7th Battalion: Army Reserve |
| Size | Five battalions One reinforced company |
| Part of | Union Division |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ:Edinburgh Castle 2nd Battalion:Edinburgh 3rd Battalion:Fort George 4th Battalion:Dhekelia,Cyprus Balaklava Company:Edinburgh 6th Battalion:Glasgow 7th Battalion:Perth |
| Nicknames | "Scots" "The Jocks"[1] |
| Mottos | "Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" (Latin) "No One Provokes Me With Impunity" |
| March | Quick:Scotland the Brave Slow:Royal Regiment of Scotland Slow March |
| Mascot | Cruachan IV (Shetland pony) |
| Engagements | Operation Telic Operation Herrick |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | King Charles III |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Major-GeneralRobin Lindsay |
| Insignia | |
| Tartan | Government 1A |
| Hackle | Blackcock Feathers From the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers |
| Abbreviation | SCOTS |
TheRoyal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS) is thesenior and only currentScottishline infantryregiment of theBritish Army Infantry. It consists of three regular (formerly five) and tworeservebattalions, plus anincremental company, each formerly an individualregiment of the line. However, three regular battalions maintain their former regimentalpipes and drums to carry on the traditions of their antecedent regiments.
As part of restructuring in theBritish Army, the Royal Regiment of Scotland's creation was announced by theSecretary of State for Defence,Geoff Hoon in theHouse 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 defencewhite paper,Delivering Security in a Changing World, several months earlier.[2]
The regiment consisted originally of a total of seven battalions: one of these was formed by the amalgamation of theRoyal Scots andKing's Own Scottish Borderers, while the others are each formed from one of the remaining single-battalion regiments of theScottish 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 andGlengarry headdress but distinctively colouredhackles are also worn by each separate battalion on theTam 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.[3]
Along withthe Rifles, the Royal Regiment of Scotland is also one of only two line infantry regiments to maintain its own regularmilitary band within theRoyal 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 theLowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which are administered by the regiment's two Territorial battalions. The regiment also has previously had its ownParachute Display Team called theGolden Lions (disbanded in 2011)[4] andshinty team,the Scots Shinty Club.[5]
In 1948, every regiment of line infantry 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 traditionalcounty regiments that were formalised in theChilders Reforms of 1881 to form larger multi-battalion regiments, has continued to affect most of theBritish Army Infantry since the1957 Defence White Paper outlined the first mergers. The creation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland encountered considerable opposition amongstformer soldiers, andnationalist groups.[6]
The new regiment is also primarily akilted one and there are concerns that the much olderLowland units, which traditionally woretrews, will be effectively absorbed into aHighland tradition. However, the Ministry of Defence's case that change was necessary to enhance operational efficiency througheconomies of scale, improve and create more flexible conditions of service and to resolve chronic recruiting and retention problems amongst the eight single-battalion Scottish regiments was endorsed by the thenChief 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 theRoyal Scots should be amalgamated with theKing's Own Scottish Borderers reflecting the former regiment's long term poor recruiting record and high reliance on Commonwealth recruits.[7]
The status of theBlack 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 arelatively dangerous region ofIraq. Hoon was accused by theSNP 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 theColonel of the Black Watch,Lieutenant-GeneralAlistair Irwin, 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.[7]
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, leaving the final regular roll of five regular battalions.[8]
In 2012, as part of theArmy 2020 programme, it was announced that the 5th Battalion, while not losing its name, connection and history as theArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders, would be reduced to the status of an incremental company, similar to the threecompanies in theGuards Division, and be transferred to become a permanentpublic duties unit in Scotland.[9]
On 1 December 2021, as part of theFuture Soldier programme, the 1st Battalion (Royal Scots Borderers), was disbanded and subsequently reformed as part of the newRanger Regiment and based in Northern Ireland.[10]
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:[11][12]
The regiment also currently has three military bands and four pipes and drums:[23]
The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland falls within theRoyal Corps of Army Music. The reserve bands are administered by theRoyal Corps of Army Music, though fall under the command of their respective battalions.
The Museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) and the Royal Regiment of Scotland is inEdinburgh Castle. 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.[25]
The regiment'scolonel-in-chief wasQueen Elizabeth II, who was replaced byKing Charles III.[26][27]Princess Anne is the regiment's deputy colonel-in-chief.[27] The colonels-in-chief of the constituent regiments making up the new regiment have become theRoyal Colonels of their representative battalions:
^1 The position is vacant following the death ofQueen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
^2 The position is now vacant sincePrince Philip's death in April 2021.
In August 2005, the new regimentalcap badge was unveiled at theEdinburgh Military Tattoo. The design was the result of a collaborative effort, led by Brigadier Andrew Mackay, along with other serving and retired officers andRegimental Sergeant Majors, with advice from theLord Lyon King of Arms. The new cap badge incorporates theSaltire of St Andrew and the Lion Rampant of theRoyal Standard of Scotland, which are two prominent national symbols. The cap badge is surmounted by a crown, in this case theCrown of Scotland. The regiment's motto isNemo Me Impune Lacessit (No One Assails Me With Impunity)—which is the motto of theOrder of the Thistle, Scotland's highestorder of chivalry, and was also the motto of four of the pre-existing Scottish regiments.[28]
The new regiment's variousDress Uniforms incorporate a number of "golden threads" from the antecedent regiments. Some of the most prominent include:[29]
While in PCS combat dress, each battalion wears its own unique colouredhackle on theTam O'Shanter:
When 1 SCOTS became 1 RANGER in November 2021, the black hackle was adopted as the Regimental hackle and is now worn by all ranks when not serving at Regimental Duty.[32]
The official mascot is aShetland pony named Cruachan. He was originally the regimental mascot of theArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders prior to the amalgamation. The first pony mascot was presented to the Argylls in 1929 byPrincess Louise, Duchess of Argyll and named afterBen Cruachan, a mountain in the Argylls'namesake lieutenancy, and the war cry ofClan Campbell, of whom theDuke of Argyll was chief. The current mascot is Cruachan IV who was presented in late 2012.[33]
| Preceded by | Infantry Order of Precedence | Succeeded by |
Historic alliances are as follows:
Canada:The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
New Zealand:The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
Pakistan:11th Battalion,The Baloch Regiment
South Africa:Chief Maqoma Regiment Canada:The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Canada:42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA Canada:The Prince Edward Island Regiment (RCAC)
Australia:The Royal Queensland Regiment Australia:The Royal New South Wales Regiment South Africa:Solomon Mahlangu Regiment New Zealand:New Zealand Scottish Regiment
Royal Navy:HMSMontrose Canada:The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) Canada:The 48th Highlanders of Canada Canada:The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Canada:The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Canada:The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) Australia:7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment Australia:5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment (formerly 5th Battalion, The Victorian Scottish Regiment) Australia:The Royal South Australia Regiment Australia:16th Battalion, The Royal Western Australia Regiment (formerly 16th Battalion, The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) New Zealand:The Otago and Southland Regiment New Zealand:The Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay Regiment South Africa:Gonnema Regiment Royal Navy:HMSSutherland Royal Navy:HMSVictorious Canada: TheArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) Canada:The Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians) Australia:The Royal Queensland Regiment Australia:The Royal New South Wales Regiment Pakistan: 1st Battalion (Scinde),The Frontier Force Regiment Royal Navy:HMSArgyll{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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