Black Watch

Black Watch, famous former Scottish infantry regiment, officially known as the Royal Highland Regiment. Raised by the British Army in 1725, the first companies had the duty of controlling clan uprisings in the Scottish Highlands. In 1739 a regiment was formed. Unlike British regulars, with their uniforms of scarlet breeches and coats, the Scots soldiers wore dark-coloured tartan kilts, and so were called the Black Watch. When absorbed by the regular army, the Black Watch troops were allowed to retain their traditional name and dress. The regiment was designated the 42nd or Highland Regiment in 1749; in 1758 it was renamed the Royal Highland Regiment, and use of the original title, Black Watch, was also authorized. The regiment distinguished itself in many wars, notably the French and Indian War, the Napoleonic Wars, and both World War I and World War II. In 2004 it was announced that the Black Watch, along with Scotland’s three other Highland regiments, would lose its individual status to become a battalion of a new Scottish “super-regiment”, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which became operational in March 2006.