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Illustrated, consise history of the Highland Watch, 15 Dec 2004
The Osprey Men-at-arms series are illustrated booklets concisely describing the history of time-specific military forces. The MAA-series cover the Ancient World, Medieval World, 16th and 17th Centuries, the 18th Century, the Napoleonic period, and the more contemporary Industrial period, and cover subjects as diverse as the Imperial Roman Army, the German airborne troops, and these 18th Century Highlanders.As integral part of the British Army, the partly British-uniformed Highland Watch regiments were formed in 1739 (50 years earlier, under King William, several units were also part of the British Army, but they didn't look British then, so apparently, that didn't count in those days). After quite a few (60%) deserted after having been required to adjust to the harsh British military life to go fight against France or serve on the East India Company instead of enforcing law and keeping order in the Highlands, these Scots were scattered around in Ireland, Germany and Flanders. Although the British were raising highland regiments in an effort to syphon off troublesome subjects and win an empire at little expense, these Scots were by no means invaluable or dispendable: they needed very little training and could be regarded battleworthy in an astonishingly short time. They were shipped to the West Indies, Nort America (American War) without needing much training or polishing. The Highlands bing severely overpopulated, soldiering became regarded as a respectable occupation, and an accepted alternative to emigration. Over the years, the Highlanders were required to adjust to the then more contemporary ways of waging a fight, (pistols, bayonets, guns, cannons and the like) and were stripped of their typical broadswoards. Although some rather practical adjustments had to be made to their clothing (the plaid was substituted by a philabeg or kilt) the typical Scottish Highland-look was kept in place.
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