#Royal Scot Dragoons

[scotianostra]

On April 14th, 1972, 52 years ago today, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards topped the UK charts with Amazing Grace.

Almost fifty years ago an Army pipe major approached his regimental music director and asked him to make an arrangement for a spiritual hymn that went well on the pipes. The Pipe Major was Tony Crease, the tune was Amazing Grace and The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards were about to take the popular music world by storm

One of the band’s top fans was the late BBC disc jockey Alan Freeman. He said: ‘I don’t see it as the pop sound of the 70s but this record is the greatest.’

Amazing Grace topped the singles chart for 5 weeks, the RPM national singles chart in Canada for three weeks, and rose as high as number 11 in the US. It also topped the charts in Ireland and South Africa. In 2007, Universal records released a new album by the group, Spirit of the Glen, some of the album was recorded at a military base in Basra, my friend’s husband played in the band, which went on to be awarded a Classical Brit award.

It is also a controversial recording as it was a bit of a first, blending the pipes with military brass band instruments. It was a new sound, odd as that seems today. There was something of a controversy at the time; the Pipe Major of the regiment was summoned to Edinburgh Castle and rebuked for polluting the pipes with Sassenach metalwork.

In 2007, Universal records released a new album by the group, Spirit of the Glen.

Many artists have performed the song over the years, checking out my go to place fortunes, Allmusic, they list over 1,000 recordings – including re-releases and compilations! Some of the most well artists who have sung versions are; Judy Collins, Kenny Rogers, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Rod Stewart, Boy George, Aretha Franklin, George Jones, Grace Kelly, Glen Campbell and Elvis Pressley.

[barbucomedie]

"Ferguson" Breech-Loading Rifle from Aberdeen, Scotland dated to 1776 on display at the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

These rifles were invented by Lieut-Colonel Patrick Ferguson of Pitfour, Aberdeenshire. Ferguson's improved quick thread breech-loading rifle was an improvement on an earlier invention. He served as a subaltern in the Royal North British Dargoons (Scots Greys) from 1759 to 1762. Ferguson was killed in South Carolina at the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War.

Photographs taken by myself 2023

[lovefromalgy]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Happy New Year 2025 To You All 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

In case Algy's performance on the bagpipes was found wanting, here is the real thing, from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, complete with beautiful scenes from Algy's home, the Scottish Highlands.

Enjoy!

[monkeyssalad-blog]

The Royal Scots Greys postcard by Harry Payne by totallymystified

[kdo-three]

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Pipes and Drums - Auld Lang Syne (2008) w/ The Band of The Coldstream Guards Robert Burns / Traditional from: "Auld Lang Syne" (LP|CD)

Pipe Major: SSGT Derek Potter Director of Music: Lieutenant Colonel Graham O. Smith (MBE)

Scottish | Pipes and Drums | Celtic

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Recorded: @ The Angel Studios in London, England UK

[odk-2]

U.S. Memorial Day, 2023

The Pipes and Drums and Military Band of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - Amazing Grace (1967) Traditional from: "Heart of the Highlands: The Great Celtics Anthems of Scotland" (2002 Compilation)

Arranged by Graham Owen Jones

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

[charlotte-of-wales]

The Duke of Kent receives an 89th birthday treat from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, who have performed 'Happy Birthday' outside Kensington Palace. The Duke served for over 20 years in the Royal Scots Greys | October 9, 2024

[aimeedaisies]

Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, Katherine, the Duchess of Kent, Lord Nicholas Windsor and Prince Michael of Kent watched three pipers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) play outside Wren House, Kensington Palace to mark Prince Edward's 89th birthday, on 9th October 2024.

The Duke is Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and served as an officer in the Royal Scots Greys between 1955 and 1971. The regiment was subsequently amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards) in 1971 to become the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

[guerrerense]

The Royal Scot - Dawlish (2) por Black Swan 147 Por Flickr: SAPHOS Tours, LMS Royal Scot Class, 4-6-0, 6100 Royal Scot (formerly 6152 King's Dragoon Guardsman prior to identity swap), approaching Dawlish Station returning from Kingswear. Diesel #47593, Galloway Princess, at the rear.

[satureja13]

Chapter 27

The One

Where they

finally get to enter the Therapy Game!

celebrate Beltane

Uh - I don't want to spoil more ö.ö'

'Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain Still take me back to where my memories remain Flickering embers grow higher and higher As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre Oh, mist rolling in from the sea My desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre'

Mull of Kintyre - Paul MacCartney & The Wings

[queer-scots-geordie-dyke]

⚡️FLOWER OF SCOTLAND ⚡️ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS⚡️

There is probably no sound on Earth I love more than bagpipes - it's a feeling of soul deep connectedness to my ancestry that I can't quite put into words 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[scotianostra]

The memorial erected to the Fallen Heroes of the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) on Princess Street in Edinburgh was unveiled by the Earl of Roseberry, K.G., P.C., on 16th November 1906.

The memorial is opposite the junction with Frederick Street and is an equestrian statue in bronze, of a trooper of the Scots Greys in full review order of 1899.

The statue is mounted on a pedestal of rock which bears the bronze plaque containing the inscription and Regimental badges. The sculptor was Mr William Birnie Rhind; the models for the statue were *Sergeant-Major Anthony James Hinnigan and his horse called “Polly”.

Anthony James Hinnigan was born in Jedburgh in 1866 and in 1882, at the age of 16, he joined the Royal Scots Greys. For the next 17 years he served with the Greys on home duty but in September 1899, by now with the rank of Sergeant-Major, he went with the Greys to South Africa when they were mobilised for service in the Second Boer War.

On his return from South Africa in 1904 Sergeant-Major Hinnigan and his horse Polly were selected as the models for Rhind’s Memorial.

Sergeant-Major Hinnigan was discharged from the army in 1911 and became landlord at the Railway Inn at Irvine in Ayrshire.

*Please note I had a look around the net when researching this and relatives of many people who served in the regiment also claim that it was their relative in the statue, although most sources give Hinnigan’s name.

I would say with it’s prominent position on Princes Street in front of Edinburgh Castle, it is one of the most photographed statues in Edinburgh, and possibly Scotland. More on the Scots Greys Regiment in just over a week.

[barbucomedie]

Basket-Hilted Cavalry Sword from the British Empire dated to the Mid-18th Century on display at the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Swords of this type were purchased by the colonels of the British cavalry regiments for the use of their men. The styles of hilt varied from regiment to regiment. Basket-hilted swords became popular, not just with Scottish regiments but many cavalry regiments around Europe.

The 2nd Royal North British Dragoons were part of the War of Austrian Succession (1740 - 1748) as part of the coalition forces. They fought at the battle of Dettingen in 1743 where King George II became the last British monarch to fight in a battle. In 1745 the last Jacobite Rising took place and unlike in the last risings the regiment were left in Flanders.

Photographs taken by myself 2023

[captain-price-unofficially]

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Challenger 1 during the Gulf War with a lot of extra kit

[kdo-three]

US Memorial Day 2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 - 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 / 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 (𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟖) Words: "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon Music: "Flowers of the Forest" (Traditional) from: "Spirit of the Glen: Journey" (CD)

Pipes | Scottish | Military | Requiem | Spoken Word

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Narration by James Naughtie Produced and Arranged by Jon Cohen

'For the Fallen', Poem Spoken Over a Solo Piper. Recorded on a Military Runway in Basra, Iraq.

For the Fallen (excerpt) They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. by Laurence Binyon (1914)

[odk-2]

U.S. Memorial Day, 2023

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - For the Fallen / Flowers of the Forest (2008) Words, "For the Fallen": Laurence Binyon Music, "Flowers of the Forest": Traditional from: "Spirit of the Glen: Journey" (CD)

Pipes | Scottish | Military | Requiem | Spoken Word

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Spoken Word by James Naughtie

Produced and Arranged by Jon Cohen

'For the Fallen', Poem Spoken Over a Solo Piper. Recorded on a Military Runway in Basra, Iraq.

For the Fallen (excerpt): They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. by Laurence Binyon (1914)