A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROYAL SCOTS

The Royal Scots is the oldest Infantry Regiment in the British Army. It was formed in 1633 when Sir John Hepburn under a Royal Warrant granted by King Charles I, raised a body of men in Scotland for service in France. In 1680 the Regiment was sent to Tangier and won its first Battle Honour. On its return to England in 1684 the title ‘The Royal Regiment of Foot’ was conferred by Charles II.

Throughout its career, the regiment took part in most of the British Army’s major conflicts. During the World War I, the unit’s strength was increased to 35 battalions. These took part in several campaigns, including the Dardanelles in Turkey and the Western Front. 11,162 men were killed and over 40,000 wounded –71 Battle Honours and six VCS were awarded to the Regiment as well as innumerable individual medals.

At the start of World War II, the 1st Battalion embarked for France as part of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force). Many were captured during the retreat to Dunkirk. The 2nd battalion was captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong. Both battalions were reconstituted and saw action later

After 1945 the Regiment continued to serve in many parts of the world, including Germany, Korea, Cyprus, Suez, Aden and Northern Ireland. In 1983 the Regiment celebrated its 350th Anniversary and Her Majesty announced the appointment of HRH The Princess Royal, to be Colonel-in- Chief.

Along with other units in the army the regiment has been reorganised on a number of occasions, and in 2006 the Regiment merged with the six surviving regular and two territorial regiments of Scottish Infantry to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland. The 1st Battalion was renamed The Royal Scots Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. On 1 August 2006 it merged with The King’s Own Scottish Borderers Battalion to form The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, abbreviated to 1 SCOTS.

Glencorse Barracks has been home to the regiment for many years. The site is located on the outskirts of Penicuik near the Pentland Hills. The original buildings were constructed in 1803 during the Napoleonic Wars and until it ended in 1814 housed 6000 French prisoners and their guards.

For a short period, the buildings were used as a military prison. Then in 1875 they were converted into a major infantry barracks as part of the Cardwell Reforms. This initiative supported the localisation of British military forces. The barracks became the depot for the two battalions of the 1st Regiment of Foot (Royal Scots). Following the Childers Reforms, the regiment evolved in 1881 to become the Royal Scots.

In 1960 the barracks was designated the Lowland Brigade depot, and became a regional centre for infantry training. Fifteen years later in a tragic incident Royal Scots corporal Andrew Walker killed three Glencorse colleagues in a local payroll robbery. The incident made the national news, and Walker was jailed for life.

In 2003 the barracks was closed for modernisation. The facility is now one of three barracks housing the City of Edinburgh Garrison. Because of Army re-organisation, since 2006 Glencorse has been home to the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The site is scheduled to close in 2032.