Dressing The Kiddies'

Uniforms and history of the Scots Guards until the Great War

- Keith Nairn-Munro

The rich scarlet jacket topped with the majestic bearskin, bedecking the various regiments of the Guards, is probably one of the most widely recognised uniforms of any army in the world. The phalanx of flashing cameras that chronicle on a daily basis these troops, as they safeguard the monarch, ensures that their splendour travels to every corner of the globe.

Each regiment of the Brigade of Guards has a fascinating story to tell of bravery and resilience but it is the Scots Guards on which I will focus. They particularly embody the strength of the union and reflect our fortitude in unity.

As you can imagine narrating the history of this renowned regiment in detail, particularly as at times there were three battalions, would encompass many more words than there is space for my article. I have therefore tried to give insights into some of the lesser known aspects of regimental history, as well as the campaigns the regiment undertook.

1641 had not been a terribly good year for Charles I. At constant odds with his Parliament, the culmination came with the Irish rebelling against the Scottish settlers in Ulster. The King decided to deal with it himself and although money was abundant, soldiers were not. He thus looked to Scotland for troops, as the country had been a constant source of mercenaries over the years.

The Marquis of Argyll was asked to raise a regiment, which the King intended would be his personal body guard and so came into existence the Scots Guards. The King never made it to Ireland, basically abandoning the regiment to spend six long ill paid years in Ulster. Perhaps to be fair to him, he did have rather a pressing distraction, namely the English Civil War which climaxed with him losing his head.