On this day 1689: Scottish Borderers regiment made

King's Own Scottish Borderers regiment hold their tricentenary Drum Head ceremony in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, March 1989. Picture: TSPL

Created in reaction to the threat of the Jacobites against the city of Edinburgh.

Men flocked to join the Earl of Leven to safeguard their city, with almost 800 men signing up in just two hours.

The Regiment first saw action at the Battle of Killiecrankie on July 27th of that year. Although the Jacobite rebels forced the Government army to retreat, Leven’s new Regiment acquitted itself well, and was granted the privilege of recruiting by beat of drum within the City of Edinburgh without the prior permission of the Lord Provost.

The regiment went on to earn honours campaigning in Ireland and Europe before returning home to help fight against the Jacobite rebellion.

Since then the regiment has seen action in theatres all around the world, including India, South Africa and Burma.

Battalions from the regiment fought at Ypres and Somme in the First World War and were involved in both the evacuation at Dunkirk and D-Day in the Second World War.

The regiment received 66 battlefield honours between 1914 and 1918 alone.

In 2006 under changes delivered by the Future Infantry Structure the Regiment became part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Battle Honours:

NAMUR (1695); MINDEN (1759); EGMONT-OP-ZEE (1799); EGYPT (1801); MARTINIQUE (1809); AFGHANISTAN (1878-80); CHITRAL (1895); TIRAH (1897-98); PAARDEBERG , SOUTH AFRICA (1900-02); MONS , AISNE , YPRES , LOOS , SOMME , ARRAS , SOISSONNAIS-OURCQ , HINDENBURG LINE , GALLIPOLI , GAZA (World War I); DUNKIRK , ODON , CAEN , ARNHEM , FLUSHING , RHINE , BREMEN , NGAKYEDAUK PASS , IMPHAL , IRRAWADDY (World War II); KOWANG SANG , KOREA (1951-52); GULF (1991)