ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS
History of the Regiment
Ne Obliviscaris · Sans Peur
DO NOT FORGET · WITHOUT FEAR
THE BEGINNING
Formation of the Regiment
91st Argyllshire Highlanders
FORMED 1794
Raised mainly from the Argyll region of Scotland, the 91st built a proud reputation for discipline and courage across many campaigns in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
93rd Sutherland Highlanders
FORMED 1799
Recruited from the Highlands of Sutherland, the 93rd became one of Scotland’s most celebrated regiments, famous above all for their stand at Balaclava in 1854.
In 1881 the two regiments were joined to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s), named in honour of Queen Victoria’s daughter, creating one of Scotland’s finest and most storied regiments.
A REGIMENT THROUGH THE AGES
Their History in Brief
1854
The Thin Red Line: Balaclava
At the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders made their most famous stand. Facing a Russian cavalry charge, their commander, Sir Colin Campbell, told them: “There is no retreat from here, men. You must die where you stand.” Their unbroken line became immortalised as The Thin Red Line, a symbol of Scottish courage to this day.
1857–1879
Imperial Service
The 93rd fought at the Relief of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and the 91st served in South Africa in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Each campaign added to their reputation for resilience and fierce Scottish pride.
1881
Formation of the Regiment
Under the Childers Reforms, the 91st Argyllshire Highlanders and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders were joined to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, named in honour of Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria. Within twenty years the new regiment was fighting in the Boer War at Modder River, Magersfontein and Paardeberg.
1914–1918
The Great War
Greatly expanded, the regiment fought on the Western Front, at Gallipoli and in Salonika. The Argylls won six Victoria Crosses and 78 battle honours, and suffered enormous casualties, their sacrifice etched into the memory of a nation.
1941–1945
The Second World War: Far East
In Malaya the 2nd Battalion fought one of the most celebrated rearguard actions of the war, holding back the Japanese advance down the peninsula against overwhelming odds. When Singapore fell on 15th February 1942, the surviving Argylls went into captivity. 192 of them died as prisoners of war before liberation in 1945.
1947–1967
Post-War Service
After 1945 the regiment served in Palestine, fought in the Korean War in 1950–51, and later served in Cyprus, Singapore and Aden, where in 1967 the Argylls retook the Crater district.
2006
The Royal Regiment of Scotland
As part of army restructuring, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders became the 5th Battalion of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland (5 SCOTS), later reduced to Balaklava Company. The name has changed, but their legacy, their motto and their memory endure.
“Ne Obliviscaris. Do Not Forget. It is not merely a motto. It is a promise.”
— SCOTLAND FEPOW TRUST