The army's oldest infantry regiment: The Royal Scots Borderer

The famous Royal Scots is now part of the Royal Scots Borderers battalion which bears its name as well as part of the title of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, with which it was merged five years ago.

Raised in France in 1633, The Royal Scots boasts one of the most illustrious histories in the British Army, having seen distinguished service in every military campaign since then, including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Gallipoli in the First World War, as well as in Europe, North Africa, and Burma in the Second World War. The Royal Scots were based in the Highlands but emigrated to Edinburgh and were the oldest infantry regiment in the army.

The history of the King's Own Scottish Borderers goes back nearly as far, to 1689, when the regiment was raised by the Earl of Leven in just two hours to defend Edinburgh from the Jacobite army of James II.

This was not to be the regiment's last conflict with the Jacobites. It is unique in the army for having fought at Sheriffmuir in 1715 and at Culloden in 1746. Battle honours at Namur in 1695, Gallipoli in 1915-16 and Dunkirk in 1940 followed.

The King's Own Scottish Borderers had the privilege of marching through Edinburgh "with drums beating, bayonets fixed and colours flying" from the 17th century. The Royal Scots were granted a similar privilege in 1983.

In August 2006, the two regiments amalgamated to become The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, known as 1 SCOTS. The battalion was deployed to Afghanistan in early March 2010 and was embedded within the Afghan National Army. In October 2010, B Company, 1 SCOTS completed a gruelling six-month tour with the 3 RIFLES Battle Group in Sangin region of Helmand, losing one young lance corporal. The Royal Scots Borderers is based at Dreghorn.

n 1 SCOTS personnel wear a black hackle - a feather plume - behind the Royal Regiment of Scotland cap badge on their Tam o'Shanter to distinguish themselves as Royal Scots Borderers.