Not sure how they do it in Scotland but when I was in the 2nd Bn Black Watch the pipers wore the Royal Stuart Tartan & drummers wore Black Watch tartan along with the rest of us
This is a pretty long-winded and detailed question... but I have to ask it this way in order to rap my head around and better understand the history of the Scottish Regiments. So please bear with me on this one: While I am not British or Scottish... I am somewhat familiar with (or at least familiar with the names) of some of those decorated, legendary Scottish Regiments, such as... The Argylls, The Highlanders, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Royal Scots, The Lothians, The King's Own Scottish Borderers and The Black Watch. However... what I am NOT familiar with is how each of those above-listed Scottish Regiments was different, unique, distinguished, compare with or identifiable from each other. Let me explain: I) For example... why is one Regiment called "The Argylls", the other "The Highlanders" another "the Borderers", "Fusiliers", or the "Black Watch", ect. ?? II) Where do those names come from and what do they refer to or mean for each Regiment?? III) Are those individual names based on the region or location in Scotland where they were first formed, established or are headquartered... or is it based on a "nick-name" or particular mission or role they perform (ie, grenades, cavalry, paratroopers, marines, ect)?? Please explain. IV) And I especially need help with this particular question: Why is it that one Scottish Regiment is called "The Highlanders" but other units like "The Argylls", "Black Watch", "Royal Scots" or "The Borderers" are not given the formal recognition or title as being "Highland(ers)"... (assuming, of course... that those Scottish Regiments I listed above and used as examples are all from the Highland Region... and/or... there is more than just one Scottish Regiment that consists of troops who themselves are originally from the Highlands... and/or... elsewhere in Scotland). Or... to ask that question another way: why is one Scottish Regiment recognized or designated as being "Highland"... but yet we don't see a Scottish Regiment formally titled or designated as being "Lowland"... "Island / Hebridean"... "Orcadian"... "Shetland"... ect. ?? Please explain. V) Back in 2006... I believe that all of those above-mentioned units were either down-sized, deactivated and/or were all merged together into one single entity that is now called and formally referred to as "The Royal Regiment of Scotland". Does this mean that those legendary Regiments such as the "Argylls", "Black Watch", "Highlanders", and "Borderers" no longer exist... or... does this mean that they are now much smaller units and no longer their once-original size of "Regiments" (ie, and are now "Battalions")... and have all been placed together under one generic / umbrella-term of "The Royal Regiment of Scotland"?? Since these half-a-dozen or so legendary Scottish Regiments appear to have been merged all together... how do they now distinguish themselves from each other (...if at all)?? Please explain. Thank You!!
Right this will be a long one 1) They are named differently as this is mainly the areas they recruited from. This is not the names they were originally given as the 'Black Watch' was till the late 1800's known officially as the 42nd Regiment of Foot , The Royal Highland Regiment. The Black Watch was the exception to the recruiting area general rule 2) The names refer to regions in Scotland apart from the Black Watch. e.x. The 'Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' recruited from the Argyll area and the North East of Scotland (Sutherland), The 'Kings Own Scottish Borders' recruited from the borders etc. The Black Watch was originally a insult as the regiment was raised to patrol the highlands after the Jacobite rebellions so they were 'black hearted' and turned their backs on their fellow highlanders 3) Black Watch nickname , The rest areas 4) Well the Borderers and Royal Scots are lowlanders and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Black Watch are highlanders 5) Yes sadly this is true. Their are 5 regular battalions (The famous ones) and two reserve batallions (That even before the merge no-one had heard of) and they are as follows Regular battalions The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1SCOTS) The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2SCOTS) The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3SCOTS) The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4SCOTS) Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) (5SCOTS) Reserve battalions 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (6SCOTS) 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (7SCOTS) The battalion's bands still wear their old regimental tartans and the men wear different coloured hackles in their Tam O' Shanters to distinguish themselves. Src: Am Argyll and Sutherland HLDRS Army Cadet
aarongaming100 The Black Watch name wasn’t particularly an insult or derogatory historically nor was it just a nickname. It was a factual name that pointed out the fact they wore a distinctive dark tartan (hence black) and they policed the Highlands (hence watch). Historically there have been moments where they shifted back and forth between Black Watch and the Royal Highlanders as the regiment’s official name so Black Watch was more than just a nick name. Also worth mentioning is the fact that apart from geographic regions Scots regimental names could have religious connotations. The Cameronians for example was actually a militant sect of the Presbyterian Church.
P/M Richie Grisedale playing Donald MacLennan's Tuning Phrase and The Old Wife of the Mill Dust. 2nd piper playing Atholl Highlanders, the 3rd piper is playing The Fiddlers Rally, The fourth piper is playing the Mason's Apron. They then play together the 9/8 jig: Donald Willie and His Dog and the 6/8 jig The Curlew.
Chris Eyre I apologize for the delayed response but thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Awesome!! Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that the legendary Black Watch has either been deactivated and/or broken up and assimilated into other units in the British Army. Is this not so??
@@VredesStall Another delayed answer. The Black watch was merged with other units. As a battalion, it keeps its name, and distinct red hackle on the TOS.
