The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) [UK]

Authors and Contributors this page: T.F. Mills

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Page created 15 July 2000. Corrected and updated 02.12.2004

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	The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)
Regimental Crest	United Kingdom

Titles & Lineage

History

Battle Honours

Colours, Standards & Guidons

Uniforms & Badges

Colonels-in-Chief

Colonels

Biography & Gallantry Awards
Traditions
Alliances
Associations, Forums, Re-Enactors
Museums, Monuments, Memorials
Bibliography

How to find information about individuals who served in this corps


	1625	John Hepburn's Regiment
	1627	entered Danish service
	1630	entered Swedish service, formed with Mackay's Highlanders (raised 1626), Stargate's Corps, and Lumsden's Musketeers, the Green or Scots Brigade
	1633	remnants of Green Brigade merged into Hepburn's Regt
	1633.01.26	Royal Regiment of Foot placed on Scottish establishment for King Charles I's Scottish coronation
	1635	R�giment de Hebron [Hepburn] entered French service
	1637	R�giment de Douglas
	1655.10.21	R�giment de Dumbarton
	1662	transferred to English service; ranked as 1st regiment of foot
	1662	returned to French service
	1667	returned to English service for Dutch war
	1667	returned to French service
	1678	returned to English Establishment
	1684	His Majesty's Royal Regiment of Foot also known until 1751 by the names of colonels
	1747	ranked as 1st Foot
	1751.07.01	1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot
	1812.02.11	1st Regiment of Foot (Royal Scots)
	1821.08.29	1st, or The Royal Regiment of Foot
	1871.12.15	1st, or The Royal Scots Regiment
	1881.07.01	The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) reorganised as the county regiment of Edinburgh (Midlothian), Haddingtonshire (East Lothian), Linlithgow (West Lothian), and Berwickshire, encompassing also its Militia and infantry volunteers [see below]
	1887.05.01	Berwickshire transferred to King's Own Scottish Borderers district
	1921.01.01	The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)


		The Royal Scots (Army site)
		The Royal Scots (Regimental site)
		History of the Regiment (Regimental site)
		The Royal Scots (Scottish Military Historical Society)
		The Royal Scots, by Diana M. Henderson (Scots at War)
		The Royal Scots (Edinburgh Tattoo)
		The Royal Scots, by Glenvil Roberts.
		The Royal Scots, by Dave Depickere (World War II Analyzed)
		The Royal Scots, by Chris Baker (The British Army in the Great War).
		The Royal Scots, by Brad Chappell (The Regimental Warpath 1914-1918)

	RHQ and Depot:
		RHQ: The Castle, Edinburgh
		? Depot Battalion [1856-1871]
		62nd Brigade Depot at Glencorse [1873-1881]
		1st Regimental District at Glencorse [1881-1905]

		B Group at Edinburgh [1946-1948]
		Lowland Brigade at Melton Bridge [1948-1968]
		Scottish Division at Edinburgh [1968-present]

	*Regulars:*
		1st Battalion [1625-present]
		1st Battalion (Battalion site)
		2nd Battalion [1686-1949]
		3rd Battalion [1804-1817]
		4th Battalion [1804-1816]

	*Militia and Special Reserve:*
		3rd Battalion (The Edinburgh, or Queen's Regt of Light Infantry) [1881-1953]
		Lineage (Scottish Military Historical Society)

	*Territorials and Volunteers:*
		Lineage, 1859-1908 (Scottish Military Historical Society)
		[1st VB] 1st Edinburgh (City) Rifle Volunteers (The Queen's City of Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Brigade) [1881-1908]
		[2nd VB] 2nd Edinburgh (City) Rifle Volunteers (The Queen's City of Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Brigade) [1881-1908]
		[3rd VB] 3rd Edinburgh (City) Rifle Volunteers (The Queen's City of Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Brigade) [1881-1908]
		4th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		[5th VB] 1st Berwickshire Rifle Volunteer Corps [1881-1887]
		5th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		6th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		7th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		8th Volunteer Battalion [1881-1908]
		9th Volunteer Battalion (Highlanders) [1900-1908]
		4th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh) [1908-1921]
		4th/5th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh) [1921-1940]
		5th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh) [1908-1921]
		6th Battalion [1908-1920]
		7th Battalion [1908-1921]
		7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion [1921-1961]
		8th Battalion [1908-1920, 1947-1961]
		8th/9th Battalion [1961-1967, 1969-1971]
		9th (Highlanders) Battalion [1908-1921]
		10th (Cyclist) Battalion [1908-1920]
		The Royal Scots and Cameronians Territorials [1967-1969]
		52nd Lowland Volunteers [1967-1999]
		52nd Lowland Regiment [1999-present]

	*Hostilities-Only Units* (First and Second World War, including T.A. duplicates):
		2/4th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) [1914-1918]
		4th (Reserve) Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) [1915-1919]
		2/5th Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) [1914-1915]
		5th (Reserve) Battalion (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) [1915-1916]
		2/6th Battalion [1915-1915]
		6th (Reserve) Battalion [1915-1916]
		2/7th Battalion [1914-1918]
		7th (Reserve) Battalion [1915-1916]
		2/8th Battalion [1914-1917]
		8th (Reserve) Battalion [1914-1916]
		8th (Lothians and Peebleshire) Battalion [1939-1946]
		2/9th (Highlanders) Battalion [1914-19188]
		9th (Reserve) (Highalnders) Battalion [1915-1917]
		2/10th (Cyclist) Battalion [1914-1917]
		10th (Home Defence) Battalion [1939-1941]
		11th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
		11th (Home Defence) Battalion [1939-1940]
		12th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
		12th Battalion [1940-1942]
		13th (Service) Battalion [1914-1919]
		14th (Reserve) Battalion [1915-1915]
		15th (1st Edinburgh) (Service) Battalion [1914-1918]
		16th (2nd Edinburgh) (Service) Battalion [1915-1918]
		17th (Roseberry) (Service) Battalion [1915-1919]
		18th (Reserve) Battalion [1915-1916]
		19th (Labour) Battalion [1916-1917]
		30th Battalion [1941-1943]
		50th (Service) Battalion [1940-1940]
		1st Garrison Battalion [1915-1919]
		2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion [1916-1917]
		No. 1 Independent Company (Royal Scots) [1943-1945?]
		No. 2 Independent Company (Royal Scots) [1943-1945?]
		No. 3 Independent Company (Royal Scots) [1943-1945?]


	Tangier 1680, Namur 1695, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet, Louisburg, Havannah, Egmont-op-Zee, [Egypt]¹, St Lucia 1803, Corunna, Busaco, Salamanca, Vittoria, San Sebastian, Nive, Peninsula, Niagara, Waterloo, Nagpore, Maheidpoor, Ava, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, Taku Forts, Pekin 1860, South Africa 1899-1902 The Great War (33 battalions): Mons, Le Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914 '18, Aisne 1914, La Bass�e 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Ypres 1915 '17 '18, Gravenstafel, St Julien, Frezenburg, Bellewaarde, Aubers, Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916 '18, Albert 1916 '18, Bazentin, Pozi�res, Flers-Courcelette, Le Transloy, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916 '18, Arras 1917 '18, Scarpe 1917 '18, Arleux, Pilckem, Langemarck 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917, St Quentin, Rosi�res, Lys, Estaires, Messines 1918, Hazebrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, B�thune, Soissonnais-Ourcq, Tardenois, Amiens, Bapaume 1918, Drocourt-Qu�ant, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, St Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir, Courtrai, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914-18, Struma, Macedonia 1915-18, Helles, Landing at Helles, Krithia, Suvla, Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli 1915-16, Rumani, Egypt 1915-16, Gaza, El Mughar, Nebi Samwil, Jaffa, Palestine 1917-18, Archangel 1918-19 The Second World War: Dyle, Defence of Escaut, St Omer-La-Bass�e, Odon, Cheux, Defence of Rauray, Caen, Esquay, Mont Pincon, Aart, Nederrijn, Best, Scheldt, Flushing, Meijel, Venlo Pocket, Roer, Rhineland, Reichswald, Cleve, Goch, Rhine, Uelzen, Bremen, Artlenberg, North-West Europe 1940, '44-45, Gothic Line, Marradi, Monte Gamberaldi, Italy 1944-45, South East Asia 1941, Donbaik, Kohima, Relief of Kohima, Aradura, Shwebo, Mandalay, Burma 1943-45 Wadi Al Batin, Gulf 1991 4th, 5th, 7th Battalions: South Africa 1900-02 6th, 9th, 10th Battalions: South Africa 1901-02 8th Battalion: South Africa 1901 1. the Sphinx badge superscribed "Egypt".


		Colours and Honours (Regimental site)
		Colours and Honours (About Scotland)

Badges:

Uniform:

tartan: No. 8 Hunting Stewart (trews), Royal Stewart (pipers' kilts and plaids, bagpipe covers, cords and ribbons)

Badges and Tartan (Regimental site)
Badges and Tartans (About Scotland)


badge and tie by A. Melville-Brown


	1918.08.31	Hon. Gen. HRH Princess Mary, The Princess Royal, CI, GCVO, GBE, RRC, TD
	1983.06.30	HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, KG, KT, GCVO


	The Colonel-in-Chief (Regimental site) The Colonel-in-Chief (About Scotland)


	1633.01.26	Col. Sir John Hepburn
	1636	Col. George Hepburn
	1637.12	Col. Lord James Douglas
	1645	Col. Archibald (Douglas), Earl of Angus
	1655.10.21	Lt-Gen. Lord George (Douglas), 1st Earl of Dumbarton, KT
	1688.12.31	Gen. Frederick Herman (Schomberg), Duke of Schomberg, KG
	1691.03.05	Col. Sir Robert Douglas, Bt (of Glenbervie)
	1692.08.01	F.M. George (Hamilton), 1st Earl of Orkney, KT
	1737.06.27	Gen. Hon. James St. Clair (Lord Sinclair)
	1762.12.17	Lt-Gen. Sir Henry Erskine, Bt
	1765.09.11	F.M. John (Campbell), 5th Duke of Argyll (Marquess of Lorne)
	1782.05.09	Gen. Lord Adam Gordon
	1801.08.21	F.M. HRH Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, KG, GCB
	1820.01.29	Gen. George (Gordon), 5th Duke of Gordon, GCB (Marquess of Huntly)
	1834.12.12	Gen. Thomas (Graham), 1st Baron Lynedoch, GCB, GCMG
	1843.12.29	Gen. Sir George Murray, GCB, GCH
	1846.08.07	Gen. Sir James Kempt, GCB, GCH
	1854.12.12	F.M. Sir Edward Blakeney, GCB, GCH
	1868.08.03	Gen. Sir George Bell, KCB
	1877.07.11	Gen. Henry Phipps Raymond
	1897.12.10	Maj-Gen. Sir Edward Andrew Stuart, Bt
	1903.08.20	Lt-Gen. George Hay Moncrieff, VD [also Hon. Col. 4th Regt]
	1918.10.16	Lt-Gen. Sir Edward Altham Altham, KCB, KCIE, CMG
	1935.03.26	Maj-Gen. Granville George Loch, CB, CMG, CBE, DSO
	1940.07.22	Col. John Hugh Mackenzie, CMG, DSO
	1946.07.02	Brig. Norman Richard Crockatt, CBE, DSO, MC
	1956.01.01	Maj-Gen. Sir Rohan Delacombe, KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB, DSO
	1964.10.01	Maj-Gen. William Tait Campbell, CBE
	1975.01.01	Lt-Gen. Sir David Tod Young, KBE, CB, DFC
	1980.08.31	Lt-Gen. Sir Robert Francis Richardson, KCB, CVO, CBE

	1995.10.20	Maj-Gen. Mark Jeremy Strudwick, CBE, ADC


		Victoria Crosses [1st Regiment], by Mike Chapman (VC Reference).
		Victoria Crosses [Royal Scots], by Mike Chapman (VC Reference).
		VCs in the Royal Scots Regimental Museum, by Iain Stewart.


	Motto:	Nemo me impune lacessit
	Nicknames:
	Anniversaries:
	Freedoms:	Haddington (1947), Peebles (1954), Linlithgow (1960), Musselburgh (1971), Penicuik (1975)
	Marches:
	Regimental Music (Regimental site)
	Musicians:
	Band History, by Gordon Turner and Alwyn W. Turner (Droit Music Ltd) Bandmasters, by Gordon Turner and Alwyn W. Turner (Droit Music Ltd) Royal Scots Association Pipe Band
	*Mascot:*
	*Miscellaneous Tradition Links:*


	The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)	1926-present
	The Royal Newfoundland Regiment	1957-present

Affiliated Gurkha Regiment:
	10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles	1950-1994
	The Royal Gurkha Rifles	1994-present

Bond of Friendship:
	HMS Edinburgh	1985-present


		The Royal Scots Club
		The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) Association, Southern Section
		Royal Scots Association Pipe Band, formed 2000 at Edinburgh (kilted as 9th Bn)
		1st Royal Regiment (French & Indian War; Missouri), by Ed Dulaney.
		Royal Scots 1st Regiment of Foot (Upper Thames Military Re-enactment Society; War of 1812; Ontario), by Dave Westhouse.
		The Royal Scots (War of 1812; Ontario) by Jon Sek.


		Royal Scots Regimental Museum, Edinburgh (Army site)
		Royal Scots Regimental Museum, Edinburgh (Simonides listing)
		Royal Scots Regimental Museum, Edinburgh (SMHS listing)


	*Note:* see also Militia and Volunteer pages for this regiment

	Regimental Journal:
		*The thistle*.

	Full Histories:
		Wetherall, Joseph (comp.) *An historical account of His Majesty's First, or, The Royal Regiment of Foot ...* London : W. Clowes, 1832.
		Cannon, Richard. Historical record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: containing an account of the origin of the regiment in the reign of King James VI of Scotland, and of its subsequent services to 1838. London : Longmans, Orme & Co., 1838. (Historical records of the British army)
		Cannon, Richard. Historical record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: containing an account of the origin of the regiment in the reign of King James VI of Scotland, and of its subsequent services to 1846. London : Parker, Furnivall, & Parker, 1847. (Historical records of the British army)
		Mackay, John. An old Scots brigade, being the history of Mackay's regiment : now incorporated with the Royal Scots ; with an appendix containing copies of many original documents connected with the history of the regiment. Edinburgh ; : W. Blackwood and sons, 1885.
		*The Royal Scots, formerly The first, or the Royal Regiment of Foot ...* [s.l. : s.n.], 1886.
		Simson, H. J. *Three hundred years : The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)*. Edinburgh : Printed by J. Skinner, 1935.
		Brander, A. Michael. *The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment). London : Leo Cooper, 1976. (Famous regiments*) ISBN: 0850521831
		Leask, J. C., (comp.) ; McCance, H. M. (comp.) The regimental records of the Royal Scots : (the First or the Royal Regiment of Foot). Dublin : Alexander Thom and Co., Ltd., 1915.
		Weaver, Lawrence, Sir. *The story of The Royal Scots (The Lothian Regiment) formerly the First or the Royal Regiment of Foot. London : Country life ; New York : C. Scribner's sons,1915. ("Country life" series of military histories*)
		Muir, Augustus. *The First of Foot : the history of The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)*. Edinburgh : Royal Scots History Committee, 1961.
		Paterson, Robert H. *Pontius Pilate's bodyguard : a history of the First or the Royal Regiment of Foot, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)*. Edinburgh : Royal Scots History Committee 2000, 2001. [2 v.: v. 1. 1633-1918 -- v. 2. 1919-2000.] ISBN: 0954090608; 0954090616 (v. 1); 0954090624 (v. 2) {book notice by regiment}
		Maxwell, Herbert, Sir. *The Lowland Scots regiments : their origin, character and services previous to the great war of 1914*. Glasgow : J. Maclehose and Sons, 1918. [Contents: Introduction, by the editor.--The 2nd Dragoons, Royal Scots Greys, by Sir J. B. Paul.--The Scots Guards, by Captain C.B. Balfour.--The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) by Major M.M. Haldane.--The Royal Scots Fusiliers, by Lieut.-Col. R. Toogood.--The King's Own Scottish Borderers, by Brigadier-General M.G. Wilkinson. Note on the origin of the K.O.S.B., by A. Ross.--The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The 90th Perthshire Light Infantry, by A. Ross.--Scottish regiments disbanded, by A. Ross.--Regimental music (p. [331]-339)]
		Paul, William Pratt. *The Lowland regiments: lions rampant*. Aberdeen : Impulse Publications Ltd, 1972. ISBN: 090131126X

	First World War:
		Ewing, John. *The Royal Scots, 1914-1919*. Edinburgh : For the Association of Lowland Scots by Oliver and Boyd, 1925. [2 v.]
		Alexander, Jack. *McCrae's Battalion : the story of the 16th Royal Scots*. Edinburgh : Mainstream, 2003. ISBN: 1840187077

	Second World War:
		McBain, S. W. (Stuart W.). A regiment at war : the Royal Scots (the Royal Regiment) 1939-45 (including the Canadian Scottish Regiment). Edinburgh : Pentland, 1988. ISBN: 0946270481

	Other Wars:
		Douglas, W. *Diary of services of the First Battalion Royal Scots during the Boer War, South Africa, 1899-1902*. London : Burt & Sons, 1904.
		Milner, Laurie. *Royal Scots in the Gulf : 1st Battalion, the Royal Scots (the Royal Regiment) on Operation Granby, 1990-1991*. London : L. Cooper, 1994. ISBN: 0850522730

	Special Topics:
		Henderson, T.F. Freemasonry in The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment). Aldershot : Gale & Polden, 1934.

	Short Histories:
		Mackay, John. Mackay's regiment : a narrative of the principal services of the regiment from its formation in 1626 to the battle of Nordlingen in 1634, and of its subsequent incorporation with the corps now known as The Royal Scots or First Regiment of Foot of the British Army. Inverness : Free Press Printing Co., 1879. [reprinted from Gaelic Society of Inverness transactions]
		Prior, G.U. The Royal Scots. [s.l. : s.n., ca. 1890]
		Watt, Lauchlan MacLean. The Royal Scotts ... Edinburgh : W.P. Nimmo, Hay & Mitchell [1916]
		McLennan, D.T.H. A short history of The Royal Scots. Poona : printed by the Scottish Mission Industries Co. Ltd., 1924.
		*The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), 1633-1933 : tercentenary souvenir*. Aldershot : Gale & Polen, 1933.
		*The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)*. Edinburgh : Dunedin Press, [ca. 1939]
		Crockatt, Norman Richard. The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) : a short history of the First or Royal Regiment of Foot. Aldershot : Gale & Polden, 1952.
		*The Royal Scots : history and handbook of the regiment, 1633-1954. [s.l. : s.n.*], 1954.
		*The Royal Scots, the First and Royal Regiment of Foot: handbook of the regiment*. Glasgow : Paramount Press, [1965?]
		*The Royal Scots (the Royal Regiment) : Her Majesty's First Regiment of Foot*. [Derby] : Pilgrim, 1980. ISBN: 0900594535 (pbk)