May I begin by wishing all readers of the Perthshire Advertiser a Happy New Year. 2025 is a very special year in Perth’s history marking the tercentenary of the origins of the Black Watch.
In 1725, General George Wade formed six companies to police the highlands in the aftermath of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. They were formed from clans loyal to the government including Campbells, Grants, Frasers and Munros, and known as the ‘Highland Watches’.
In 1739, King George II authorised the raising of a further four companies which together would form a Regiment of the Line in the regular army and were first mustered in Aberfeldy. It was throughout this period that the companies began being referred to as ‘Am Freiceadan Dubh’ or ‘the Black Watch’ likely arising from the dark tartan clothing issued to troops.
Throughout the 18th and 19th century the Black Watch were heavily involved in British conflicts across the globe, playing central roles throughout the French wars, Crimea, India, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa. During this era the Black Watch established and reinforced its worldwide reputation as a fearless foe, with numerous stories of gallantry, often in the face of unfavourable odds. Up to the present day, fourteen individuals within the Black Watch have been awarded with Britain’s highest military decoration, the Victoria Cross.
During the First World War the Black Watch battalions incurred devastating losses during battles including Loos, Shaikh Sa’ad and Passchendaele. In the Second World War the regiment also saw action in every major global theatre including Europe, North Africa and Southeast Asia, gaining further distinction.
Throughout the post-war era, the Black Watch largely returned to its original roots as a police force, engaging in peacekeeping and counterinsurgency roles once again, in the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Kenya, Cyprus and Iraq. Just as it had been active during the rapid expansion of empire, soldiers from the Black Watch were also the last troops to leave Hong Kong during the handover of 1997, marking the end of the British Empire.
A column of this length can only just scratch the surface of the regiment’s rich three-hundred-year history. I would therefore highly recommend a visit to the excellent Black Watch Museum which presents a far more comprehensive narrative of the regiment’s story and its important place in both Perthshire and British history.
I very much look forward to marking this special occasion in the Scottish Parliament in the coming weeks which I will dedicate to all those who have served and died in this historic regiment throughout history.
