Military of Scotland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Thin Red Line of 1854.
The Thin Red Line of 1854.

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.

Contents

Main articles: Royal Scots Navy and History of the Royal Navy
The Scottish Red Ensign, flown by ships of the Royal Scots Navy
The Scottish Red Ensign, flown by ships of the Royal Scots Navy
A model of the Great Michael in the Royal Museum
A model of the Great Michael in the Royal Museum

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.

Main articles: Warfare of Scotland in the High Middle Ages and 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 mid-18th century; the British government of the day continues to command it and both declares and wages wars.

Main article: Castles of Scotland

Main articles: British military history and 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.

Trident-armed Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines are based at HMNB Clyde
Trident-armed Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines are based at HMNB Clyde

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. 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.[5] The large amount of military bases in Scotland has led some to use the euphemism "Fortress Scotland".[6] In 2005, the MoD land holdings in Scotland (owned, leased or with legal rights) was 115,300 hectares representing 31.5% of the MoD's UK estate.[7]

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.

Three squadrons of Tornado F3 fighters are based at RAF Leuchars, they are currently being replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon
Three squadrons of Tornado F3 fighters are based at RAF Leuchars, they are currently being replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon


  • RAF Alness
  • RAF Annan
  • RAF Banff
  • RAF Black Isle
  • RAF Bowmore
  • RAF Brackla
  • RAF Buttergask
  • RAF Castle Kennedy
  • RAF Castletown
  • RAF Charterhall
  • RAF Connel
  • RAF Dalcross
  • RAF Dallachy
  • RAF Dornoch
  • RAF Drem
  • RAF Dumfries
  • RAF Dundonald
  • RAF Dunino
  • RAF Dyce
  • RAF East Fortune
  • RAF Edzell
  • RAF Elgin
  • RAF Errol
  • RAF Fordoun
  • RAF Forres
  • RAF Fraserburgh
  • RAF Gailes
  • RAF Grangemouth
  • RAF Greenock
  • RAF Helensburgh
  • RAF Inverness
  • RAF Isbister Bay
  • RAF Kidsdale (Burrow Head)
  • RAF Kirkandrews
  • RAF Kirknewton
  • RAF Kirkpatrick
  • RAF Kirkton
  • RAF Kirkwall
  • RAF Largs
  • RAF Leanach
  • RAF Lennoxlove
  • RAF Lerwick
  • RAF Low Eldrig
  • RAF Machrihanish
  • RAF Milltown
  • RAF Montrose
  • RAF Oban
  • RAF Perth
  • RAF Peterhead
  • RAF Portellon
  • RAF Renfrew
  • RAF Saxa Vord
  • RAF Skatsa
  • RAF Skeabrae
  • RAF Skitten
  • RAF Stornoway
  • RAF Stravithie
  • RAF Sullom Voe
  • RAF Sumburgh
  • RAF Tealing
  • RAF Tiree
  • RAF Turnberry
  • RAF Turnhouse
  • RAF Twatt
  • RAF West Freugh
  • RAF Whitefield
  • RAF Wick
  • RAF Wigtown
  • RAF Winterseugh
  • RAF Woodhaven

Soldiers of the Black Watch, deployed on Operation TELIC in Iraq
Soldiers of the Black Watch, deployed on Operation TELIC in Iraq

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:

  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. ^ Mackay, N and Wilson, A.. "MOD "lied" over depleted Uranium", Sunday Herald. (in English)
  6. ^ Spaven, Malcolm (1983) Fortress Scotland. Pluto Press in association with Scottish CND. London
  7. ^ UK Defence Statistics, 2005 [2].

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../m/i/l/Military_of_Scotland_1e48.html"
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