Scots regiments cut to Highland and Lowland; Exclusive: Black Watch

Sunday Herald, The, Aug 22, 2004 by Exclusive By Trevor Royle

Scotland's six infantry regiments are to be merged into two new large regiments as part of the biggest shake-up of the infantry system since 1881.

As part of a radical rethink, the UK's Executive Committee of the Army Board will also recommend that the UK's remaining 19 single- battalion regiments be merged into 15 new large regiments. This will give the army 15 large regiments composed of two or three operational battalions which will be trained in different roles and still represent regional differences across the UK.

The two new Scottish regiments have not yet received official names, but they are being referred to as Lowland and Highland. The Lowland regiment will consist of two battalions drawn from the Royal Scots, the Royal Scots Fusiliers and the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

The Highland regiment will consist of three battalions drawn from the Black Watch, the Highlanders and the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Each regiment will have a common uniform, cap badge and tartan.

Senior Scottish officers believe that the new structure will preserve the best traditions of the old single-battalion regiments while creating solid foundations for new fighting formations.

There is also relief that the new regiments will do away with the need to disband an existing regiment - in last month's defence review defence secretary Geoff Hoon announced that the infantry would have to lose four of its battalions, and that one of them would have to be a Scottish regiment.

The changes are still being considered by the Council of Scottish Colonels, who will pass on their recommendations to the Army Board. A central figure in the process is Lieutenant-General Sir Alistair Irwin, who is Adjutant General, the senior officer responsible for army personnel, chair of the Council of Colonels and colonel of the Black Watch. Army sources insist that his impartiality has not been compromised by holding the different posts.

The colonels also considered the possibility of forming a single large regiment, consisting of five battalions, which would have been known as the Royal Scottish Regiment or Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Although younger soldiers support the concept, arguing that it has greater flexibility, there were doubts about instituting such a radical change. One stumbling block was uniform: the new regiment would have worn the kilt even though Lowland soldiers have traditionally worn trews.

The driving force behind the reform programme is Chief of the General Staff Sir Michael Jackson. His main argument for the introduction of large regiments is the flexibility they will bring to soldiers' careers.

He said: "Individuals may volunteer or be selected for a move to another battalion within the regiment. This will be vital to ensure variety, career development and span of experience for our soldiers and officers, while at the same time offering the chance of greater stability for themselves and their families."

Last month Jackson caused offence to supporters of the Scottish regiments by claiming that if Scots wanted to keep their "precious regiments" they should have encouraged young people to join them. Two Scottish regiments, the Royal Scots and the Highlanders, have had to be reinforced by Fijian and Gurkha riflemen to make up numbers.