British and Canadian Scottish / Highland regimental insignia and tartans.
- artiozen
- Jun 24, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: May 19
Having a Scottish family name (Baxter a sept of McMillan) one of my areas of interest is collecting and displaying Regimental badges and tartans as used in Commonwealth forces for the last 150 years. I can then also develop additional / duplicate items for sale and trade.
Per John Galor's works - A 3"square patch of tartan was to be applied to the khaki Tam-0'-Shanter (or Balmoral bonnet) on which the regimental badge was centralized. The patch was not worn on the blue bonnet (1950s onwards) or the glengarry - which had a black rosette to back the badge.
So here we deal with the commonly found regiments with badges and tartans - also information on spotting fake /replicas to hone your living history impression or collection.
There are around three times more tartans that become rare use or obscure, but I keep this list to the most commonly encountered (non South African, Australia or New Zealand)
Black Watch (modern) Tartan
also Royal Regiment Government 1A (Modern), also 42nd Tartan
Regiments:
Argyll Highlanders
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Black Watch (The Royal Highland Regiment) - soldiers wore no badge badge or badge back - only a red hackle.
Calgary Highlanders (badge image coming)
Canadian Black Watch
Glasgow Highlanders (Highland Light Infantry)
Gurkha Rifles - 6th & 9th
Kings Own Scottish Borderers (before 1900 - then Leslie)
Royal Scots Fusiliers - until 1948 - then Hunting Erskine
Tyneside Scottish
Canadian Black Watch Black Watch (Royal Highland) Canadian Black Watch Printed Titles (WW2)
Argyll & Sutherland KOSB 1889 - 1901 Tyneside Scottish 1916+
Campbell of Cawdor (modern) Tartan
also Ancient Campbell
Regiments:
Argyll Fencibles
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Lorne Scots (Canada) - Peel, Duffern and Halton Regiment (badge image coming)
Cameron of Erracht (Ancient) Tartan
Regiments:
Cameron Highlanders (79th of Foot) - centered on a vertical cross of yellow lines.
Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
Queens Own Highlanders - centered on a vertical cross of yellow lines.
Cameron Highlanders of Canada (badge image coming)
Liverpool Scottish (badge image coming)
Cameron Highlanders Liverpool Scottish (Anodized)
Dalziel (Modern) Tartan
Regiment:
Royal Scotts Greys (Pipers)
Royal Scotts Greys
Davidson (Modern) Tartan
Regiment:
Highlanders of Canada (48th)
48th Canada Highlanders - WW2 Printed insignia, First Canadian Army Division (red felt square).
Douglas / Forbes
Cameron Highlanders (79th of Foot)
Liverpool Scottish
The Perth Regiment of Canada
The Perth Regiment of Canada
Erskine (Modern) Tartan
Regiment:
Kings Own Scottish Borderers (Territorial Army - Pipers).
Royal Highland Fusiliers (Pipers)
KOSB 1889 - 1901
Erskine (Hunting) Tartan
Regiment:
Royal Scotts Fusiliers - after 1948, 42nd Tartan before - centered on the dark green square.
Fraser (Hunting) Tartan, similar to Leslie
Regiments:
Scottish Horse
Lovat Scouts
Kings Own Scottish Borderers (after 1900 - 42nd Tartan before - White line on the biias / diagonal top left to bottom right - red line opposite).
Gordon - Army 92nd Regiment (Modern)
also Stewart Hunting
Regiments:
Gordon Highlanders - cut on the bias / diagonal to center crossed yellow lines.
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Royal Scots (on the bias / diagonal)
Gordon Highlanders
Hodden Grey
London Scottish
Stewart Royal (Modern)
Regiments:
Scotts Guards (Pipers)
Royal Scotts (Pipers)
Royal Scotts Dragoon Guards (Pipers)
Kings Own Scottish Borderers (Pipers) (badge image coming)
Black Watch (Pipers)
Seaforth Highlanders (72nd and 78 of Foot)
Tyneside Scottish (Pipers)
Canadian Seaforth Highlanders
Canadian Seaforth Highlanders Scots Guards Officers Cap
(4 copper sheet lugs)
McIntosh Hunting
Fife and Forfar Yeomanry
McKenzie Seaforth Highlanders No2 (Modern)
also Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
Regiments:
Highland Light Infantry (71st and 74th of Foot) - centered on vertical white and horizontal white lines.
Seaforth Highlanders (72nd and 78 of Foot) - cut on the bias / diagonally - white line from top left to bottom right, with red line crossed and opposite.
Royal Highland Fusiliers (as Trews and badge backs centered on the box of red (vertical) and white (horizontal)
Royal Scotts Fusiliers
Stewart of Fingask (Modern)
Regiments:
Royal Tank Regiment
Highlanders of Canada (48th)?
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