Three Scottish units face elimination

[OC Richard]

In The Scotsman: the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders appear doomed, the Scots Guards and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards could be next

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...bite-1-2284937

The Argylls (5 SCOTS) had been reduced to company strength and relegated to Public Duties (ceremonial duties). Here's a cool little video about it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbQKvAgi6V8

[Ron Abbott]

That article in The Scotsman was published over two years ago.

The Argylls are at company strength and I believe their Pipes & Drums may have been disbanded (?)

The RHR Black Watch continue to exist at battalion strength as to the 1st Bn. Scots Guards. In fact the latter even has an extra company for ceremonial duties.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are no longer a heavy cavalry unit (main battle tanks) but are to become a light cavalry unit (if not already).

[OC Richard]

Yes I wonder about the Argylls' pipe band. That video was from June 30 2014 and you can hear pipes, and a military band too, but you can't see who they might be. One would think that 'public duties' would require music.

[davidlpope]

I saw the pipers of the Argylls when they toured with the Band of the Irish Guards a few years ago. Pity.

[Ron Abbott]

Yes, it's a pity that you can't see the Pipes & Drums.

They certainly still had a Pipes & Drums in mid June 2013, there is a video on youtube of them at Canterbury Cathedral in June 2013 and it's certainly their own Pipes & Drums in that.

The official army website only mentions that each of the battalions has a Pipes & Drums, however as the Argylls (5 SCOTS) are no longer a battalion, I'm not sure whether that takes us anywhere.

Furthermore, I don't think 52 Lowland (6 SCOTS) still has a Pipes & Drums, and if so; then what is recorded on the army website is not 100% accurate.

So what's left when it comes to Pipes & Drums of the British Army ?

Royal Scots Borderers (1 SCOTS)
Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 SCOTS)
Black Watch (3 SCOTS)
Highlanders (4 SCOTS)
51 Highland (7 SCOTS - Army Reserve)

Then outwith the RRS :

1st Bn. Scots Guards
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
1st Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Corps of Signals
19 Regiment, Royal Artillery
1st Bn. Irish Guards
Queens Royal Hussars
Royal Dragoon Guards (?)
1st Bn. Royal Irish Regiment
1st Bn. Royal Gurkha Rifles
2nd Bn. Royal Gurkha Rifles

London Scottish, London Regiment - Army Reserve
London Irish, London Regiment - Amy Reserve
103 Regiment, Royal Artillery - Army Reserve
102 Regiment, REME - Army Reserve
2nd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment - Army Reserve
Aberdeen Universities OTC - Army Reserve
Edinburgh City Universities OTC - Army Reserve
Glasgow City Universities OTC - Army Reserve
Tayforth Universities OTC - Army Reserve
Scottish Transport Regiment, RLC - mainly civilians ?
101 Northumbrian Regiment, Royal Artillery - mainly civilians ?

That's all I can think of at the moment. There used to be so many more, especially TA/Reserve.

[creagdhubh]

I saw the pipers of the Argylls when they toured with the Band of the Irish Guards a few years ago. Pity.

I did too, David. And I actually had the opportunity to "party" with many of the young Argylls after their concert. They were keen on seeing the city (St. Louis) before they departed for Chicago the following morning. Boy, what a night that was!

[MacGumerait]

I did too, David. And I actually had the opportunity to "party" with many of the young Argylls after their concert. They were keen on seeing the city (St. Louis) before they departed for Chicago the following morning. Boy, what a night that was!

Haaa ! Now that would be a party worth attending ! I trust you did the Macphersons and the Marine Corps proud that night .

[Mel1721L]

It's not just the Scottish regiments, it's the English too being decimated. When I joined up there were 16 Armoured regiments, three of which were Lancers, 9th/12th, 16th/5th and mine, the 17th/21st. The 16/5 and 17/21 were ammalgamated back in the 90's to form the Queens Royal Lancers, now the QRL is to be ammalgamated with the 9/12 to form the Royal Lancers. The last Lancer regiment in the British Army. It's the same story for the rest of the cavalry and the Royal Tank Regiments.

[creagdhubh]

Haaa ! Now that would be a party worth attending ! I trust you did the Macphersons and the Marine Corps proud that night .

Oh, it definitely was! The funny thing about the whole thing, was that it wasn't planned in the slightest. After the concert, we (my wife, my aunt, and yours truly) left and went to a nearby pub for dinner and drinks. After about 20-30 minutes, a few of the Argyll pipers showed up. After about an hour or so, loads more arrived at the pub and soon the place was packed with Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders! I naturally wore Highland Dress to the concert, so the Argylls came up to me all throughout the night, and we soon joined them all in a delightful, albeit boisterous, conversation about all things Scottish and military. They loved the fact that I served in the U.S. Marine Corps, since many of them had served alongside U.S. Marines overseas. After having quite a few pints at this particular pub, they wanted to see more of the downtown St. Louis area, so we all left and walked to a few of the more hip/trendy parts of downtown, stopping at various bars and pubs along the way. It was one hell of an impromptu pub crawl, and definitely a night to remember!