Recruitment

Arms Plot

With regard to the 'arms plot', the Army has decided to end the process where infantry battalions and their families are regularly up-rooted and moved to other locations. Ending the movement of battalions between locations will mean the creation of permanent bases for individual battalions where they will become identified with specific barracks and a specific military role.

Careers

It is thought that the career opportunities for all ranks within the new Regimental structure will be dramatically affected by the creation of the new super Regiment.

Recruits

The soldiers currently serving in the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the Black Watch, the Highlanders and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders battalions will remain together.

Each of these 4 battalions will be brought up to strength by soldiers from the Royal Scots and KOSB who want to remain in the Scottish Division but for whom there is no vacancy in their amalgamated battalion.

The current Regimental recruiting areas will continue to provide the majority of soldiers recruited into each battalion. It will still be possible for recruits from other parts of Scotland and elsewhere to continue to join a battalion of their choice, i.e. men from any recognised battalion recruitment area can elect to join any one of the battalions in the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

If there are more applicants than vacancies in a battalion, those applicants will be offered a place in the other battalions on the understanding that they can transfer to the battalion of their choice at a later stage - if and when vacancies arise.

However, it is expected that in time, each battalion will become attached to a new recruitment area, as the local people begin to identify them with the permanent base in their area.

Proposed geographical recruitment areas for each Regiment.

• Area 1 - 1st Battalion - Royal Scots & Kings Own Scottish Borderers
  
  
• Area 2 - 2nd Battalion - Royal Highland Fusiliers
  
  
• Area 3 - 3rd Battalion - Black Watch
  
  
• Area 4 - 4th Battalion - Highlanders
  
  
• Area 5 - 5th Battalion - Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
  
  
• Area 3, 4, & 5 - 6th Battalion - 51st Highland
  
  
• Area 1 & 2 - 7th Battalion - 52nd Lowland

Update on Recruits - June 2005

Recruiting offices for the existing Scottish Regiments are informing potential recruits to a named Regiment of their choice that they no longer have that option. Instead, they are being told that they will not be permitted to join a named Regiment, but will be joining the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Army will decide in which of the five Battalions they will be placed.

It has also been reported that many of these potential recruits are refusing to accept this edict and are no longer interested in joining the Army.

This highlights one of the most important points in the anti-campaign case - that Scottish recruits have a very strong affinity for what they see as their 'Family Regiment'. They also see it as betraying years of committed service by their forbears to the badge of their 'Family Regiment'.

The effect on recruitment figures to the Scottish Infantry is now being affected by this MoD recruitment policy
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