Help identifying a Regiment please

[OC Richard]

I actually have both versions of that badge, one is a relief cut out stags head, and the other is solid. It is pre ww1 when there was more independence for volunteer battalions from the parent regiments. The rifle regiments similarities could come from the fact they were raised as a independent rifle company before falling under the Gordon's.

Cool that you have both badges.

I found the solid one just now on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scottish-6th...8AAOxyRNJSfXVE

It's listed as the badge of the 6th Volunteer Battalion Gordon Highlanders 1887-1891. Evidently the cap badge was changed to the ordinary Gordon Highlanders badge in 1891.

Here's a great site which lists the large number of "Rifle Volunteers" units raised in the second half of the 19th century

http://www.scottishmilitaryresearch....fle-volunteers

Here's the page on the 6th and 7th Volunteer Battalions Gordon Highlanders

http://www.scottishmilitaryarticles....tish_RV_9e.htm

They don't show Highland Dress but obviously they had at least one Company so dressed.

Note that the jackets are grey. I found a document about the Rifle Volunteers which says that the 6th VB Gordon Highlanders wore grey jackets with black facings until 1891 when they changed to scarlet with yellow facings (as per the ordinary Gordon Highlanders uniform).

If those dates are correct it would allow us to bracket when the OP's photo was taken.

I found this photo of a piper of the 6th Vol Batt Gordon Highlanders. Unfortunately the photo has been crudely coloured; however it's clearly the same unit, with the same sporran and Glengarry. You can also see that he's wearing the ordinary Gordon Highlanders collar badges, and the usual Gordon Highlanders pipers' crossbelt badge.

I would bet that the piping and buttons on the doublet are subdued, not white and silver as it's been over-painted.