The Royal Scots: the senior line infantry regiment of the British Army, it is often referred to as “Pontius Pilate’s Bodyguard”.
Regimental depot
Glencorse Barracks, near Penicuik, south of Edinburgh.
Battalions of the Regular Army
1st Battalion
August 1914 : in Allahabad.
Returned to England 16 November 1914.
16 November 1914 : transferred to 81st Brigade, 27th Division.
Landed at Le Havre 20 December 1914.
Moved to Salonika December 1915.
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Plymouth. Part of 8th Brigade, 3rd Division.
Landed at Boulogne 14 August 1914 .
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
August 1914 : in Glencorse Barracks. A training unit of the Special Reserve, it remained in UK throughout the war.
Moved in August 1914 to Weymouth. Returned to Edinburgh May 1915.
Moved to Mullingar in Ireland in late 1917.
Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion (Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles)
August 1914 : in Forrest Hill, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
24 April 1915 : transferred to 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Division.
Sailed from Liverpool 24 May 1915, going via Egypt to Gallipoli 14 June 1915.
Returned to Egypt 8 January 1916.
Moved to France, landing at Marseilles, 17 April 1918.
2/4th Battalion (Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles)
Formed at Edinburgh September 1914. Moved to Penicuik in February 1915 and on to Peebles in May.
November 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division at Cambusbarron.
November 1915 – January 1916 temporarily amalgamated with 2/5 and 2/6th to become 19th Bn.
Moved to Essex in March 1916 and on to Ireland in January 1917.
August 1917 disbanded, absorbed in other battalions of the Brigade.
1/5th Battalion (Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles)
August 1914 : in Forrest Hill, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
11 March 1915 : transferred to 88th Brigade, 29th Division at Leamington Spa.
Sailed from Avonmouth 20 March 1915, going via Egypt to Gallipoli 25 April 1915.
Returned to Egypt 7 January 1916.
Moved to France, landing at Marseilles, 10 March 1916.
24 April 1916 : transferred to Lines of Communication.
15 June 1916 : amalgamated with 1/6th to become 5/6th Battalion.
29 July 1916 : transferred to 14th Brigade, 32nd Division.
2/5th Battalion (Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles)
Formed at Edinburgh September 1914. Moved to Peebles in May 1915.
November 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division at Cambusbarron.
November 1915 – January 1916 temporarily amalgamated with 2/4 and 2/6th to become 19th Bn.
Moved to Essex in March 1916 and on to Ireland in January 1917.
August 1917 disbanded, absorbed in other battalions of the Brigade.
1/6th Battalion
August 1914 : in 33 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
A Service Company under Captain J. A. Todd was sent to join the 1/8th Battalion in France.
Battalion was at Selkirk and Peebles in 1915. Moved to Edinburgh in August 1915.
5 September 1915 : moved to Egypt, landed at Alexandria 14 September.
Under command of Western Frontier Force 20 November 1915 to 27 February 1916.
Moved to France, landed at Marseilles 16 May 1916. Was placed into quarantine for a month owing to a suspected case of Typhus.
15 June 1916 : amalgamated with 1/5th to become 5/6th Battalion. See entry for 1/5th.
2/6th Battalion
Formed at Edinburgh in March 1915. Moved to Peebles in May 1915.
November 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division at Cambusbarron.
November 1915 – January 1916 temporarily amalgamated with 2/4 and 2/5th to become 19th Bn.
1/7th Battalion
August 1914 : in Dalmeny Street, Leith. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
24 April 1915 : transferred to 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Division.
A and D Companies were involved in a rail accident at Quintinshill near Gretna on 22 May 1915 while en-route to Liverpool from Larbert in Stirlingshire. 210 men were killed and 224 injured, forming the majority of the 473 casualties of the worst disaster in British railway history.
Sailed from Liverpool 24 May 1915, going via Egypt to Gallipoli 14 June 1915.
Returned to Egypt 8 January 1916.
Moved to France, landing at Marseilles, 17 April 1918.
2/7th Battalion
Formed at Leith in August 1914. Moved to Peebles in March 1915.
November 1915 : attached to 194th Brigade, 65th Division at Larbert.
Moved to Essex in March 1916, going on to Dublin in January 1917.
Disbanded in March 1918.
1/8th Battalion
August 1914 : in Haddington. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
Proceeded to France, landing Le Havre 5 November 1914.
11 November 1914 : attached to 22nd Brigade, 7th Division.
19 August 1915 : transferred to 51st (Highland) Division as Pioneer Battalion.
2/8th Battalion
Formed at Haddington in September 1914. Moved to Peebles in May 1915.
November 1915 : attached to 194th Brigade, 65th Division at Falkirk. Renamed 16th Bn until January 1916
Moved to Essex in March 1916, going on to Dublin in January 1917.
Disbanded in summer 1917.
1/9th (Highlanders) Battalion
August 1914 : at 89 East Claremont Street, Edinburgh. Part of Lothian Brigade, Scottish Coast Defences.
26 February 1915 : landed at Le Havre and transferred to 81st Brigade, 27th Division.
24 November 1915 : transferred to 14th Brigade, 5th Division.
25 January 1916 : transferred to Third Army Troops.
1 March 1916 : transferred to 154th Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division.
6 February 1918 : transferred to 183rd Brigade, 61st (South Midland) Division.
1 June 1918 : transferred to 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division.
2/9th (Highlanders) Battalion
Formed at Edinburgh in September 1914. Moved to Peebles in May 1915.
November 1915 : attached to 195th Brigade, 65th Division at Tillicoultry. Renamed 20th Bn until January 1916
Moved to Essex in March 1916, going on to Tralee in January 1917. Moved to Limerick in July 1917.
Disbanded near Fermoy in March 1918.
1/10th (Cyclist) Battalion
August 1914 : at Linlithgow. Army Troops not under command of a Brigade or defence area.
Moved to coastal defence at Berwick until April 1918, then to Ireland.
2/10th (Cyclist) Battalion
Formed in Linlithgow, September 1914.
Moved to coastal defence at Berwick until April 1918, then to Ireland.
Reorganised as an infantry battalion, the 2/10th moved to England in July 1918.
7 August 1918 sailed from Newcastle on ship “City of Cairo”. Landed at North Russia on 27 August 1918 as part of the Archangel Force, returning home June 1919.
3/4th to 3/8th Battalions inclusive
Formed in 1915 as training units, all were redesignated as Reserve Battalions on 8 April 1916. The 3/8th is mentioned in newspapers as being at Peebles early as the first week of January 1915.
On 1 September 1916, all were amalgamated into the 4th Reserve Battalion at Catterick.
Moved to Edinburgh in November 1917, Haddington in April 1918 and Cupar at the end of the war.
3/9th Battalion
Formed in Peebles in June 1915 as a training unit, redesignated as 9th Reserve Battalion on 8 April 1916.
Moved to Stobs. Amalgamated into the 4th Reserve Battalion in June 1917.
3/10th Battalion was short-lived and was disbanded April 1916.
Battalions of the New Armies
11th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Edinburgh, August 1914, as part of K1.
August 1914 : came under command of 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division and moved to the Bordon area of Hampshire. Some evidence suggests the battalion was at nearby Holybourne in December 1914.
Landed in France May 1915.
Article: 11th Royal Scots beat off raid 13 May 1916
12th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Edinburgh, August 1914, as part of K1.
August 1914 : came under command of 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division and moved to Bordon.
Landed in France May 1915.
13th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Edinburgh, September 1914, as part of K2. Moved to Aldershot.
September 1914 : came under command of 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division.
Went to billets in Bramshott November 1914, then Basingstoke February 1915 and on to Chisledon in March.
Landed in France July 1915.
14th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Weymouth in November 1914 as a Service Battalion, part of K4.
November 1914 :came under command of 102nd Brigade, original 34th Division.
May 1915 : converted into a Reserve Battalion at Stobs.
Moved to Hipswell Camp (near Catterick) in October 1915 and on to South Queensferry April 1916.
September 1916 : at Kirkcaldy, became the 54th Training Reserve Battalion in 12th Reserve Brigade.
15th (Service) Battalion (1st Edinburgh)
Formed at Edinburgh in September 1914 by the Lord Provost and City, although some 550 men were recruited in Manchester and for this reason the Battalion is sometimes referred to as the Manchester Scottish. Moved to Troon March 1915.
June 1915 : moved to Ripon and came under command of 101st Brigade, 34th Division. Moved to Sutton Veny September 1915.
Landed at Le Havre 8 January 1916.
16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength after suffering heavy casualties.
17 May 1918 : came under command of 39th Division.
14 August 1918 : disbanded in France.
16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Edinburgh)
Formed at Edinburgh in late November 1914 by Lt-Col. G.McCrae, MP and manned in large part by players and supporters of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club.
June 1915 : moved to Ripon and came under command of 101st Brigade, 34th Division. Moved to Sutton Veny September 1915.
Landed at Le Havre 8 January 1916.
16 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength after suffering heavy casualties.
17 May 1918 : came under command of 39th Division.
14 August 1918 : disbanded in France.
A memorial stands next to the church in Contalmaison, where the battalion fought its first major battle in early July 1916.
17th (Service) Battalion (Rosebery)
Formed in Edinburgh in February 1915 by Lord Rosebery, as a Bantam Battalion. Moved to Glencorse in April 1915.
Moved to Selkirk in May 1915.
June 1915 : moved to Masham and came under command of 106th Brigade, 35th Division. Moved to Chisledon in August 1915.
Landed at Le Havre 1 February 1916.
18th (Reserve) Battalion
Formed in Edinburgh in June 1915 from depot companies of 15th, 16th and 17th Bns.
Moved to Ripon in October 1915 and on to Dundee in April 1916.
September 1916 : at Dundee, became the 77th Training Reserve Battalion in 18th Reserve Brigade.
Other Battalions
1st Garrison Battalion
Formed at Edinburgh in August 1915. Moved to Stobs in October 1915 but sailed from Devonport for Mudros on 24 October. By January 1916 was in Egypt. Moved to Cyprus on 7 April 1917.
19th (Labour) Battalion
Formed at Blairgowrie in April 1916 and went to France in the May.
April 1917 : transferred to Labour Corps as 1st and 2nd Labour Companies.
2nd (Home Service) Garrison Battalion
Formed at Leith in August 1916. Became 1st Bn, the Royal Defence Corps in August 1917.
The Royal Scots memorial in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh. Image courtesy of geograph, with my thanks.
Books
The Royal Scots 1914-1919, Volume 1 by Major John Ewing (free PDF download)
The Royal Scots 1914-1919, Volume 2 by Major John Ewing (free PDF download)
Links
Other British infantry regiments