£750,000 cost of kilts for new regiment soldiers

**MACKAY** · 27th July 05, 07:26 AM

From The Herald - July 27, 2005

The Army will have to spend up to £750,000 to outfit the reluctant soldiers of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland with matching kilts and accoutrements, the Herald can reveal. More than 1600 regular soldiers and 800 members of the Territorial Army will be affected, at a predicted cost of more than £300 each. It is understood a dark "government" tartan has been selected for kilts for the entire new super-regiment. It is already worn by two of the three Highland regiments, the Black Watch and the Argylls.

Meanwhile, a decision to scrap the traditional trews of the regular and Territorial Lowland units in favour of Highland kilts for all will add at least £87,000 to the final tailors' bill. Officers from the three existing Lowland infantry regiments are "deeply unhappy" about having to trade in their trews for kilts in the first place, insiders say. One Lowland officer said yesterday: "It costs £120 for a pair of tartan trews and £300 for a military kilt. "That's down to the comparative amount of cloth needed for each.

"The Highlanders, formed from the old Gordon's and Queen's Own, will need new kilts, since they wear Mackenzie, Gordon and Cameron of Erracht tartans.” It also means that 1100 regulars from the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the amalgamated King's Own Scottish Borderers and Royal Scots, plus 600 to 800 guys from part-time units on both sides of the Highland line will have to be issued with parade dress kilts and other bits and bobs." More than 1600 regulars and 800 Territorials will be affected at upwards of £300 a man. "It is a ridiculous waste of money at a time when resources for training, ammunition and equipment are already in short supply."

A source in the Royal Scots, the oldest infantry regiment in the British Army, said: "We were formed and fighting in trews almost 100 years before the first Highland unit was even raised.
"We are proud of our Lowland heritage and dress and can see no logic in the imposition of kilts at this stage of our history."

A spokeswoman for the MoD said: "The decision was taken last year that all would wear the kilt to properly reflect Scotland's identity abroad. Cost is always a consideration, but not the main issue."
__________________________________________________ _________

Brian Mackay

**macwilkin** · 27th July 05, 07:41 AM

Staggers the imgination, doesn't it? :-? :sad:

I'm at a loss for words after reading this.

T.

**sav** · 27th July 05, 08:06 AM

I get more enraged at the MoD every time I read something like this! How dare they impose the traditions of the Highlanders on Lowlanders! How dare they kill the traditions of the Highlanders!! HOW DARE THEY!!! grrr...I'm just getting fed up with the whole situation...

~Sav

**bubba** · 27th July 05, 08:46 AM

They dare because they can.

**davedove** · 27th July 05, 08:52 AM

A lot of people on this board keep commenting about the traditions of the units involved. While individuals may be concerned about such things, in all honesty, governments are not, or if they are it's the last thing they consider. Also, for one of the wealthier nations in the world, 750,000 is nothing to be to concerned about. The government tosses around billions, so anything under a million is, as one of my bosses used to say, "budget dust."

**macwilkin** · 27th July 05, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by davedove

A lot of people on this board keep commenting about the traditions of the units involved. While individuals may be concerned about such things, in all honesty, governments are not, or if they are it's the last thing they consider. Also, for one of the wealthier nations in the world, 750,000 is nothing to be to concerned about. The government tosses around billions, so anything under a million is, as one of my bosses used to say, "budget dust."

When people stop caring that governments do not care, then we are in trouble. Am I an idealist? You bet. Someone has to believe in something these days when apathy reigns surpreme.

Yes, traditions may not be important to governments, but they are important to those of us who recognize the strong debt that all kilt wearers owe the Highland regiments, and the sacrifices that the men of these regiments made in Burma, Normandy, Hong Kong, the Somme and the Gulf.

750,000 may not be a lot of money to a government, but it is still a WASTE, considering there are already uniforms in use. It is also hypocritcal, since budgetary issues were part of the MoD's justification for the amalgamations in the first place.

Am I an idealist? You bet.

T.

**sav** · 27th July 05, 09:03 AM

Todd, you hit the nail on the head. Apathy is so pervasive in our society today, and noone seems to acknowledge the rightful place of history and tradition within the modern framework! As I've always said, "you have to know where you've been to know where you're going."
~Sav

**Sciuropterus** · 27th July 05, 09:16 AM

Maybe it is a bad decision to change the uniforms, but complaining won't help.

As far as I'm concerned, soldiers should wear what is issued to them, period.

Every change in the military generates complaints. The military does not exist to provide tradition for soldiers, it exists to provide defense. Any officer who does not like a required uniform can resign his commision and join a reenactment group. Any enlisted soldier who does like not like his uniform can bring it up with his sergeant, if he dares!

Looks there will be a lot of ex-MOD kilts on the market, good for us!