Some of the Stories We Tell

The “Highland Charge” became legendary during the civil wars of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The fighting men of the Clans were renowned the world over for their hardiness and ferocity in battle.

After the failed Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 the British Government, recognising this skilled military manpower, began to recruit infantry regiments from the Highlands and Islands.

These regiments were raised on behalf of the Government by the prominent families of the Region during a bleak time in the North of Scotland, when the old Clan system was being dismantled. Faced with economic ruin and the destruction of the traditional way of life; Clan Chiefs realised that one way to make money for themselves, whilst providing employment for their clansmen, was by raising regiments of infantry.

This tradition continues. There are a substantial number of clansmen including Mackenzies, Camerons, MacDonalds, Munros, Mackays, Macleans, Rosses, Macraes and many more serving with the same distinction and bravery as their forefathers in The Highlanders, 4^th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS).

Piper Kenneth Mackay was born and brought up in the village of Reay on the North coast of Caithness.

At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 he famously ignored furious incoming enemy fire to play his pipes to encourage a beleaguered 79^th Cameron Highlanders to ultimate victory.

During sustained cavalry attacks by Napoleon’s Army on Allied positions at the Battle, Piper MacKay stepped outside the relative security of the regimental square to play the rousing ancient tune Cogathd na Sithd (War or Peace, the Gathering of the Clans). This act of individual bravery became famous after the battle.

After the battle the 79^th were stationed in Paris and during this time Mackay was presented with a silver set of pipes by King George III.

The 79^th had the distinction of being only one of four infantry regiments specifically mentioned in Wellington’s Waterloo Dispatch. The Colours carried by the 79^th during the battle are still on display in The Highlanders’ Museum.

Sergeant Alexander Edwards from Lossiemouth was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallant action at the 3^rd Battle of Ypres whilst serving with the 1/6^th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.

“For most conspicuous bravery in attack, when, having located a hostile machine gun in a wood, he with great dash and courage, led some men against it, killed all the team and captured the gun.”

He was wounded in the arm during the action, but went on to stalk and kill a sniper and to lead remnants of his Company to capture the final objective.

He was decorated with the VC by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 26^th September 1917.

Sadly he was killed on his return to the front in March 1918. Before the War he had been a caddie at Lossiemouth Golf Course; a memorial stone to his memory still stands on the first fairway.

The Queens’ Own Highlanders’ Coup de main, Brunei on 8^th December 1962, an armed rebellion broke out in Brunei on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. A rebel force ruthlessly attacked the Sultan’s palace, various police stations and seized the Shell oilfield at Seria, taking the innocent people who worked there hostage.

To keep the peace and return the rule of law two companies of the Queen’s Own Highlanders moved at very short notice, one by air and one by sea, to Brunei.

In a daring air landing operation they captured the airfields and seized back the police station. During a heroic sea assault they also defeated a strong rebel force at the Sultan’s palace and released 46 European hostages.

Even today this extraordinary and gallant action is used as one of the best examples of swift armed response to a crisis using air, sea and land forces.