7th (51st Highland) Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland

The 51st Highland Volunteers was a regiment and is now a battalion in the British Army's Territorial Army (TA) or reserve force in the Scottish Highlands, forming the 7th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 7 SCOTS. In contrast with 52nd Lowland (6 SCOTS), a similar unit located in the Lowlands of Scotland, 51st Highland (7 SCOTS) consists of a number of infantry companies located throughout the various regions of the Highlands. Both 51st Highland Volunteers and 52nd Lowland Volunteers were unique in that each of their companies was officially the reserve element of a regular infantry regiment in the Scottish Division.

The 51st Highland Volunteers were formed in 1967 from the amalgamation of territorial battalions of regiments in the Highland Brigade. In 1999, however, the regiment was re-organized and became the 51st Highland Regiment.

The name commemorated that of the 51st Highland Division, which consisted of the Regiment's antecedent Territorial Battalions, and fought during the First and Second World Wars.

Structure of the Regiment 1967-1971
The 51st Highland Volunteers were formed on 1 April 1967 as a TAVR II (NATO reserve role) unit with headquarters located at Perth, Scotland:
 * HQ (Black Watch) Company, located at Perth
 * A (Black Watch) Company, located at Dundee
 * B (Seaforth Highlanders) Company, located at Wick
 * C (Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) Company, located at Inverness
 * D (Gordon Highlanders) Company, located at Aberdeen
 * E (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company, located at Stirling
 * G (London Scottish) Company, located at London
 * V (Liverpool Scottish) Company, located at Liverpool

In 1969, the three TAVRIII (Home defence) battalions were reduced in size and amalgamated into the 51st Highland Volunteers, forming three additional companies:
 * No.1 (Lovat Scouts) Company, located at Kirkwall and Lerwick
 * No.2 (Queen's Own Highlanders) Company, located at Fort William and Stornoway
 * No.3 (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company, located at Dumbarton and Campbeltown

1971-1975
On 1 April 1971, the 51st Highland Volunteers split into two battalions. A third battalion was subsequently formed on 1 April 1975.
 * 1st Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * Headquarters located at Perth
 * A (The Black Watch) Company, located at Dundee
 * B (The Black Watch) Company, located at Kirkcaldy
 * C (The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company, located at Grangemouth, formed from the cadre of the 3rd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * E (The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company, located at Stirling
 * G (The London Scottish) Company, located at Westminster, London
 * V (The Liverpool Scottish) Company, located at Liverpool
 * 2nd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * Headquarters located at Elgin
 * A (Lovat Scouts) Company, located on Orkney and Shetland
 * B (Queen's Own Highlanders) Company, located at Wick
 * C (Queen's Own Highlanders) Company, located at Inverness, Nairn, Dingwall, Fort William
 * D (Gordon Highlanders) Company, located at Aberdeen, Laurencekirk
 * G (Gordon Highlanders) Company, located at Peterhead, Keith
 * 3rd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * Headquarters located at Peterhead
 * B (Queen's Own Highlanders) Company, located at Wick
 * C (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company, located at Grangemouth
 * D (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company, located at Dumbarton

1980-ca.1994
In 1981, the 3rd Battalion effectively became the Territorial battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; in 1995, it became the 7th/8th (V) Battalion of that regiment. The 2nd Battalion became the 3rd (V) Battalion of The Highlanders.

A Z (Home Service Force) Company was formed in 1984 at Perth, Kirkcaldy and Dundee. A number of re-organizations and company re-locations also occurred in the 1980s. Between 1992-1993, the remaining elements of 1st Battalion, the 51st Highland Volunteers were again reorganised:
 * HQ Company at Perth
 * A Company at Dundee
 * B Company at Forfar
 * D Company at Aberdeen
 * K Company at Kirkcaldy

The 1st Battalion was subsequently redesignated (in 1994) as the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). During this period, all three Battalions adopted the Cap Badges and insignia of their parent Regiments.

1999 onwards
The regiment was re-formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of all three battalions (sic 7/8 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 3 The Highlanders, and 3 Black Watch) into a single battalion, the 51st Highland Regiment (51 HIGHLAND), in consequence of the reforms of the Territorial Army in the Strategic Defence Review.

The Battalion Headquarters is based at Queen's Barracks in Perth. The TA military band of 51st (Scottish) Brigade is administered by the Battalion, as well as the units own 51st Highland Pipes and Drums. The battalion was originally made up of one support company and five rifle companies:


 * HQ Company is based in Perth
 * A (Black Watch) Company at Dundee and Kirkcaldy
 * B (Highlanders) Company at Peterhead, Aberdeen, Elgin, Keith and Lerwick
 * C (Highlanders) Company at Inverness, Wick, Kirkwall and Stornoway
 * D (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company at Dumbarton and Dunoon
 * E (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company at Cumbernauld and Assault Pioneer platoon at Stirling.

As part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World review of the British Army, on 28 March 2006, the 51st Highland Regiment became the 7th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (also known as (7 SCOTS)).

The battalion is currently made up of one support company, with four rifle companies:


 * HQ Company is based in Perth
 * A (Black Watch and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company at Dundee, Kirkcaldy and an Argyll-affiliated rifle platoon at Stirling.
 * B (Highlanders) Company at Peterhead, Aberdeen and Keith
 * C (Highlanders) Company at Inverness, Wick and Stornoway
 * D (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Company at Dumbarton and Dunoon

Lineage

 * -style="text-align: center; background: #F08080;"
 * align="center" colspan="6"|Lineage
 * width="5%" rowspan="9" align="center" | 51st Highland, 7th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * width="5%" rowspan="9" align="center" | 51st Highland Regiment
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Black Watch
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 1st Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * width="5%" rowspan="9" align="center"| 51st Highland Volunteers (TAVR II and III)
 * width="5%" align="center" | 6th/7th Battalion, The Black Watch 
 * width="5%" align="center"|4th/5th Battalion, The Black Watch
 * width="5%" align="center"| '''1st Battalion, The Liverpool Scottish
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 2nd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * width="5%" align="center"|11th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| 4th/5th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| '''1st Battalion, The London Scottish
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 7/8th (Volunteer) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 3rd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * width="5%" align="center"| 3rd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| 7th and 8th Battalions, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| '''1st Battalion, The London Scottish
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 7/8th (Volunteer) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * width="5%" rowspan="3" align="center"| 3rd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers
 * width="5%" align="center"| 3rd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| 7th and 8th Battalions, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| 3rd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| 7th and 8th Battalions, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 * width="5%" align="center"| 7th and 8th Battalions, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders