(Redirected from Scottish Army)
Historically,
Scotland has a long
military tradition that predates the
Act of Union with
England. Its
armed forces now form part of those of the
United Kingdom and are known as the
British Armed Forces.
History prior to the Union
Royal Scots Navy
Main articles: Royal Scots Navy,
History of the Royal Navy
The first recorded Scottish Naval force was created around AD 1000 by
King Kenneth III to combat
Viking invasions. Initially it consisted of
Longships, some captured from the Vikings. After the signing of the
Treaty of Perth, the navy fell into perpetual neglect, only becoming properly re-established in the wake of the
Scottish Wars of Independence. The Navy steadily increased in size and strength through the reigns of the
Stewart Monarchs, from
King James I to that of
King James IV, who established the
Royal Scots Navy which consisted of a fleet of thirty-eight vessels, including the
carrack Great Michael. After this point the Royal Scots Navy entered into a steady decline, and only consisted of three vessels when it merged with the
English Royal Navy in 1707.
Scottish armies
Main articles: Warfare of Scotland in the High Middle Ages,
Gaelic warfare
Prior to the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms in 1644, there was no
standing army in the
Kingdom of Scotland. Prior to that, troops were raised by the King when required, a development of the feudal concept of
fief (in which a lord was obligated to raise a certain quota of knights, men at arms and yeomanry, under greater control of the King).
Gallowglass mercenary clan soldiers also formed a significant part of Scottish Armies at the time. After the
Wars of Scottish Independence, the
Auld Alliance between Scotland and France played a large part in the country's military activities, especially during the
Hundred Years' War. In 1650, part of the
New Model Army invaded Scotland to fight Scottish
Covenanters at the start of the
Third English Civil War. The Covenanters, who had been allied to the English Parliament in the First English Civil War, had crowned
Charles II as
King of Scots. Despite being outnumbered,
Oliver Cromwell led the Army to crushing victories over Charles's Scottish army commanded by
David Leslie at the battles of Dunbar and Inverkeithing. Following the Scottish invasion of England led by Charles II, the New Model Army and local militia forces soundly defeated the Royalists at the
Battle of Worcester, the last pitched battle of the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms. During the
Interregnum, Scotland was kept under the military occupation of an English army under
George Monck. They were kept busy throughout the 1650s by minor Royalist uprisings in the Scottish Highlands and by endemic lawlessness by bandits known as
mosstroopers. Following Cromwell's death, the Restoration of Charles II saw the New Model Army kept as a standing force, and the King raised further regiments loyal to the Crown. On January 26, 1661 Charles II issued a Royal Warrant that created the genesis of what would become the British Army, although the Scottish and English Armies would remain two separate organisations until the unification of England and Scotland in 1707. The Crown still officially controls the use of the army. However the
Claim of Right Act 1689 stated that: "that the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law...". Successive British governments were able to circumvent the intent of the
Bill of Rights through annual continuation notices, and the technical legality of the
British Army, in times of peace, still rests on these annual notices. A large standing army had come into existence by the time of the
Napoleonic Wars; the British government of the day continues to command the
British Armed Forces and both declares and wages wars.
Wars and battles
★
Wars of Scottish Independence
★
Anglo-Scottish Wars
★
War of the League of Cambrai
★
Bishops' Wars
★
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
★
Scottish Civil War
★
The Jacobite Risings
★
Battle of Largs
★
Battle of Dunbar
★
Battle of Bannockburn
★
Battle of Flodden
★
Battle of Killiecrankie
★
Battle of Langside
★
Battle of Inverkeithing
★
Battle of Otterburn
★
Battle of Preston
★
Battle of Nesbit Moor
★
Battle of Falkirk
★
Battle of Halidon Hill
★
Battle of Stirling Bridge
Castles
Main articles: Castles of Scotland
★
Bothwell Castle
★
Broughty Castle
★
Caerlaverock Castle
★
Duffus Castle
★
Dumbarton Castle
★
Dunnottar Castle
★
Edinburgh Castle
★
Eilean Donan
★
Kilchurn Castle
★
Ruthven Barracks
★
St Andrews Castle
★
Stirling Castle
★
Tantallon Castle
Part of the British Armed Forces
Main articles: British military history,
History of the British Army
After the
Act of Union in 1707, the Scottish Army and Navy merged with those of England. The new
British Army incorporated existing Scottish regiments, such as the
Scots Guards,
The Royal Scots,
King's Own Scottish Borderers,
Scots Greys and the
Royal Scots Fusiliers. The three vessels of the small Royal Scottish Navy were transferred to the
Royal Navy. The new Armed Forces were controlled by the
War Office and
Admiralty from London. During this period, Scottish soldiers and sailors were instrumental in supporting the expansion of the
British Empire and became involved in many international conflicts, including the latter stages of the
War of the Spanish Succession, the
Seven Years' War, the
American Wars of Independence,
Napoleonic Wars, the
Crimean War,
Boer War, the two
World Wars, the
Korean War, the
Malayan Emergency, the
Falklands War and now most recently the two
Gulf Wars.
Defence establishments in Scotland
In the wake of the
Jacobite risings, several fortresses were built throughout the Highlands in the 18th century by
General Wade in order to pacify the region, including
Fort George,
Fort Augustus and
Fort William. The
Ordnance Survey was also commissioned to map the region. Later, due to their
topography and perceived remoteness, parts of Scotland have housed many sensitive defence establishments, some controversial. During
World War II,
Allied and
British Commandos trained at
Achnacarry in the
Highlands and the island of
Gruinard was used for an exercise in
biological warfare. Between 1960 and 1991, the
Holy Loch was a base for the
US Navy's fleet of
Polaris-armed
''George Washington'' class ballistic missile submarines. Today,
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, 25 miles (40 km) west of
Glasgow, is the base for the four
Trident-armed
''Vanguard'' class ballistic missile submarines which are armed with approximately 200
Trident nuclear warheads.
[1] Since the decommissioning of
free-falling bombs in 1998, the Trident
SLBM system is
the UK's only nuclear deterrent. HMS Caledonia at
Rosyth in
Fife is the support base for navy operations in Scotland and also serves as the Naval Regional Office (NRO Scotland and
Northern Ireland). The Royal Navy’s
LR5 and
Submarine Rescue Service is based in Renfrew, near Glasgow. The
Royal Navy's submarine nuclear reactor development establishment, is located at
Dounreay, which was also the site of the UK's
fast breeder nuclear reactor programme.
HMS Gannet is a search and rescue station based at
Prestwick Airport in
Ayrshire and operates three
Seaking Mk.5 helicopters as part of
771 Naval Air Squadron of the
Fleet Air Arm. RM Condor at
Arbroath,
Angus is home to
45 Commando,
Royal Marines, part of
3 Commando Brigade. Also, the
Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines is based at
HMNB Clyde.
Since 1999, the
Scottish Executive has had devolved responsibility over
fisheries protection duties in Scotland's
Exclusive Economic Zone, carried out by the
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, which consists of a fleet of four
Offshore Patrol Vessels and two
Cessna 406 maritime patrol aircraft.
[2]
Three important
Royal Air Force bases are in Scotland today. These are
RAF Lossiemouth, the
RAF's primary base for the
Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft and is also base to a
flight of
Sea King HAR.3 Search and Rescue Helicopters,
RAF Kinloss, home to the
Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft and
RAF Leuchars, the most northerly air defence
fighter base in the United Kingdom. The only open air live
depleted uranium weapons test range in the British Isles is located near
Dundrennan.
[3] As a result, over 7000 radioactive munitions lie on the seabed of the
Solway Firth.
[4] This has led to many environmental concerns.
[ MOD "lied" over depleted Uranium ] The large amount of military bases in Scotland has led some to use the euphemism "Fortress Scotland".
[5] In 2005, the
MoD land holdings in Scotland (owned, leased or with legal rights) was 1,153 km² representing 31.5% of the MoD's UK estate.
[6]
Defence contractors and related companies employ around 30,000 people in Scotland and form an important part of the
economy. The principal companies operating in the country include:
BAE Systems,
Rolls-Royce,
Raytheon,
Thales and
Babcock.
Royal Navy bases in Scotland
★
HMNB Clyde (HMS Neptune),
Argyll and Bute
★
Rosyth Dockyard (HMS Caledonia),
Fife
★
RNAD Beith,
North Ayrshire
★
HMS Gannet,
Prestwick,
South Ayrshire
★
RM Condor,
Arbroath,
Angus
Former Royal Navy bases in Scotland
★
Scapa Flow,
Orkney
★
Invergordon,
Easter Ross
★
HMS Condor,
Arbroath,
Angus
★
HMS Fieldfare,
Evanton,
Ross and Cromarty,
Highland
★
HMS Fulmar,
Lossiemouth,
Moray
★
HMS Jackdaw,
Crail,
Fife
★
HMS Landrail,
Macrihanish,
Argyll and Bute
★
HMS Merganser,
Rattray, Aberdeenshire
★
HMS Merlin,
Donibristle,
Fife
★
HMS Nighthawk,
Drem,
East Lothian
★
HMS Owl,
Fearn,
Wester Ross,
Highland
★
HMS Peewit,
East Haven,
Angus
★
HMS Robin,
Grimsetter,
Kirkwall,
Orkney
★
HMS Sanderling,
Abbotsinch,
Renfrewshire: (Now
Glasgow International Airport)
★
HMS Sparrowhawk,
Hatston,
Orkney
★
HMS Tern,
Twatt,
Orkney
★
HMS Wagtail,
Heathfield,
Ayr,
South Ayrshire
Royal Air Force bases in Scotland
★
RAF Kinloss
★
RAF Lossiemouth
★
RAF Leuchars
★
RAF Buchan
★
RAF Benbecula
★
RAF Tain
★
RAF Prestwick
Former Royal Air Force bases in Scotland
Scottish Units in the British Army
Within the
British Army, the
Scottish Infantry previously comprised a number of
'county regiments', each recruiting from a local area. In 2006, the remaining regiments, known collectively as the
Scottish Division, were amalgamated to form the
Royal Regiment of Scotland. The amalgamation was vigorously opposed by
veterans and supporters of the old regiments. Scottish Soldiers also serve in all
Combat Support Arms and Services (
RA,
RE,
Signals,
Intelligence,
AAC,
RLC,
AGC,
REME and
AMS),
Special Forces, the
Household Cavalry and the
Parachute Regiment of the
British Army, with the following current Formations and Units having specific Scottish connections:
★
2nd Division
★
Scottish Division
★
51 (Scottish) Brigade
★
52 Infantry Brigade
★
Royal Regiment of Scotland
★
Scots Guards
★
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
★
1st Royal Tank Regiment
★
19th Regiment Royal Artillery
★
40th Regiment Royal Artillery
Former Scottish Units in the British Army
★
9th (Scottish) Division
★
15th (Scottish) Division
★
51st (Highland) Division
★
52nd (Lowland) Division
★
Highland Brigade
★
Lowland Brigade
★
4th Royal Tank Regiment
★
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
★
Glasgow Highlanders
★
The Gordon Highlanders
★
Highland Light Infantry
★
King's Own Scottish Borderers
★
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
★
Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)
★
The Royal Scots
★
Royal Scots Fusiliers
★
Scots Greys
★
Seaforth Highlanders
Regular British Army Units currently based in Scotland
★ 1st Battalion,
Royal Irish Regiment -
Fort George
★ 3rd Battalion,
The Rifles -
Redford Barracks
★
The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion
The Royal Regiment of Scotland - Dreghorn Barracks
★
The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion
The Royal Regiment of Scotland - Glencorse Barracks
Scottish units that are not part of the British Army
★
Atholl Highlanders
★
Royal Company of Archers
★
High Constables of Holyroodhouse
Scottish regiments in other countries
===
Canada===
★
1st Air Defence Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish)
★
48th Highlanders of Canada
★
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)
★
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
★
The Calgary Highlanders
★
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
★
The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's)
★
The Essex and Kent Scottish
★
The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
★
The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)
★
The Nova Scotia Highlanders
★
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
★
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
★
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
★
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
★
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
France
★
Garde Écossaise
★
Gens d’Armes Ecossais
===
South Africa===
★
Pretoria Highlanders
★
Transvaal Scottish Regiment
Reference
1. House of Commons Written Answers, Hansard, 14 Jul 1998 : Column: 171
2. [1]Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
3. BBC Scotland News Online "DU shell test-firing resumes", ''BBC Scotland News'', 2001-02-21. Retrieved on 2006-09-13. (in English)
4. Parliament of the United Kingdom - Debates 7 February 2001 Depleted Uranium (Shelling)
5. Spaven, Malcolm (1983) ''Fortress Scotland''. Pluto Press in association with Scottish CND. London
6. UK Defence Statistics, 2005 [2].
See also
★ ''
Nemo me impune lacessit''
★
Scottish National War Memorial
★
National War Museum of Scotland
★
Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming
★
Claymore
★
Jock
★
Schiltron
★
Tam o'Shanter
★
Earl Haig Fund Scotland
★
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
★
Highland charge
★
Lord High Constable of Scotland
★
Scottish Militia Bill 1708
★
The Poker Club
★
Garde du Corps
★
The Thin Red Line (1854 battle)
★ Munitions production:
★
★
HM Factory, Gretna
★
★
Nobel Industries (Scotland)
★
★
ROF Bishopton
★
★
ROF Dalmuir
External links
★
Armed Forces History,
National Museums of Scotland
★
Military Collection,
Historic Scotland
★
Military Records,
National Archives of Scotland
★
Military Records,
Scottish Archive Network
★
Scots at War Trust,
Fettes College
★
Regimental Page,
Fettes College
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