Edinburgh Antique Scottish Regiment Photographs Facts & History

The following antique vintage photographs were acquired during a house clearance & unwanted by the families or owners of the properties cleared.

Scottish regiments history

The Royal Scots Greys – From 1707 until 1971 the Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British army. Their early postings were keeping peace in Scotland before the Jacobite rebellion. The royal Scots Greys motto was ‘Nobody touches me with impunity’

The Scots guards – In 1642 the the Scots Guards regiment containing 1500 soldiers was raised by Archibald Campbell for service in Ireland.

The Royal Scots – The royal Scots is the oldest infantry regiment that was formed in 1633 by Sir John Hepburn for the Scottish coronation of King Charles. In 1680 the Royal Scots regiment won its first battle honour in Tangier.

The Royal Scots Fusiliers – Existed from 1678 until 1959 the regiment was raised by Charles Erskine and saw its first action in 1679 at the battle of Bothwell bridge.

The King’s Own Scottish Borders – In 1689 the regiment formed in Edinburgh by David Melville to defend Edinburgh against the Jacobite forces of James II. The regiment formed in just four hours employing over 800 men.

The Cameronians – The Cameronians was a Rife regiment and the only one amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. They were formed in 1881 and saw service during the second Boer War in South Africa.

The Black Watch – In the aftermath of the first Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, the Black Watch regiment was formed. up until 1940 the regiment wore kilts as part of its everyday uniform. There were seven Battalions that made up the Black Watch regiment, these Battalions included Dundee, Fife and Angus.

The Highland Infantry – The regiment formed in 1881 by merging the the 71st and the 74th regiment of foot. Both regiments that were formed, were highland units and therefore when merged, the only unit to be given the uniform of trousers and not kilts.

The Seaforth Highlanders – The regiment was created in 1881 through the amalgamation of the 72nd and 78th Highlanders regiments. They served in a number of major campaigns overseas and in almost all area of operations during the first world war.

The Queen’s own Cameron Highlanders – The regiment was raised in 1973 by Cameron, from the Cameron clan’s lands in Western Inverness-shire. The regiment was formed when the French Revolutionary wars began and moved to the Netherlands in 1974.

The Gordon Highlanders – The regiment existed from 1881 until 1994. It was raised in North-East Scotland by Alexander Gordon. The newly formed Regiment went on to serve in different campaigns including; The Relief of the Chitral Expedition 1895 while they were stationed in India during The Second Anglo-Boer war.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders – The regiment was formed as Princess Louise’s highlanders under the Childers reforms in 1881. The regiment was one of the sixth Scottish line infantry regiments that wear the regimental tartan uniform. The regiment also had the largest cap badge in the British army.