Regiment's history to go on parade

The Princess Royal has been invited to unveil the additions to the monument, which will cover the regiment’s role in conflicts from Korea to the Falklands and Iraq.

The memorial celebrates the part the Royal Scots played in battles around the world since its creation in 1633.

But it has not been updated since it was first unveiled by Princess Mary, the Royal Scots’ then Colonel-in-Chief, in August 1952.

Work on updating the memorial will cost around 25,000 and is expected to be complete by the spring.

A new plaque will be installed to mark the Royal Scots’ merger into the Royal Regiment of Scotland last year.

The Royal Scots merged with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers in March 2006 to form the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The city centre monument has the names of places where the Royal Scots served up to 1948 engraved into it, from its first Battle Honours in Tangier in 1680.

The planned additions will mark the regiment’s role in 14 post-Second World War conflicts, including Korea, the Falklands, Bosnia, Germany and Iraq.

Money for the refurbishment was raised through donations from former members of the regiment to the Royal Scots Museum Trust.

Chairman of the Trust, retired Colonel Robert Watson, said they were updating the monument to remember the regiment’s last half century of service.

He said: “We consider it important because it is a monument to all those who have served and those who have fallen in the service of their country.

“With the merger of the regiments, one chapter of the history has come to an end and another has opened.”

It is intended the monument will be updated again in future years to mark the continuing role of soldiers from the region in the Royal Scots Borderers battalion within the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Colonel Watson said on this occasion they would be adding all the places where the regiment had served since around 1950.

“The last place listed was Trieste, which we left in 1948. All the places where we have served since have to be recorded and we are also going to commemorate the change to the Royal Regiment of Scotland.”

He added that 12,000 had so far been raised but further donations were still needed.

Additions will include a plaque commemorating the end of the Royal Scots as an independent regiment, which will read: “On 28 March 2006, 373 years to the day since King Charles I signed the warrant to raise the regiment, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) merged with the other surviving Scottish infantry regiments and formed the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

“Our unbroken history and service to sovereign and country lives on in the first battalion of the new regiment.”

Another plaque will pay tribute to Princess Anne’s 23 years of service as its Colonel-in-Chief.

The bronze work on the memorial, which features the heads of all the sovereigns since Charles I and words from the Declaration of Arbroath, is also being cleaned up and given a protective coat.

Captain Gary Tait, regimental careers management officer said updating the monument to reflect more recent successes would give a boost to serving soldiers. He said: “This is first class. It’s a reflection of the respect people in this city have for soldiers who have served their country.

“It closes a chapter on the Royal Scots as an independent regiment and is a very positive thing, which will give a boost to serving soldiers by commemorating those who have served and fallen in the past.”

City environment leader Councillor Bob Cairns said: “The Royal Scots War Memorial is a important part of Edinburgh’s heritage and it is very fitting that it is now being updated to commemorate soldiers who have served in recent years.

“This will ensure that it continues to remain relevant to current and future generations.”

The facts

The Royal Scots was the oldest active army unit in the world and the oldest infantry regiment in the British Army.

Since the Princes Street Gardens memorial was erected the regiment has served in 14 trouble zones, which will be added to the stonework of the monument.

These are West Germany (1951-1991 repeated trips); Berlin (1958-60); Korea (1953-4); Egypt (1955); Cyprus (1955); Suez (1956); Libya (1960-63); Radfan (1964-5); Aden (1964-5); Northern Ireland (1970-2002 - 12 trips); Falkland Islands (1984); the Gulf (1991); Bosnia (2002); and, Iraq (2004 and 2006).

The regiment was formed in 1633 by King Charles I for city men to fight in France.