The Atholl Highlanders are Europe’s only legally recognised private army, although merely a ceremonial regiment and not officially part of the British Army they were awarded colours.

Atholl Highlanders at the 2009 Gathering

The Regiment evolved from the 77th Regiment of the Foot who were raised by the 4th Duke of Atholl in 1777 (not to be confused with an earlier 77th – Mongomeries Highlanders or a later one – the Middlesex Regiment) . This date will be familiar to any scholars of American history since this was a time when the Brits were quite busy attempting to deal with those pesky colonial types on that side of the Atlantic. They were also about to have their already full hands made even fuller by the French and Spanish jumping in too.

Enter the 77th! (sort of)

Unfortunately the regiment didn’t quite make it to the heart of the fighting. Formed as a relief regiment they spent most of their time over in Ireland waiting to be called into the fray. Under the conditions on which the men signed up they were supposed to serve for either three years or the duration of the war with America. In 1781 at the end of their term of service the men were all expecting to return home, however they were transported to England and marched down to Portsmouth ready to embark on a long sea voyage to the West Indies. This was too much for the men of the 77th who promptly mutinied and refused to go. Exasperated their commanders marched them back to Berwick and the regiment was disbanded in 1783, thus ended the less than glorious history of the 77th.

And that would have been the end of it had it not been for, of all people, the Earl of Eglington. In 1839 the Earl had been rather miffed that the year before Queen Victoria’s coronation had been a rather drab affair by normal standards and the traditional banquet had been cancelled after George IV’s coronation nosh up ended in most of the silverware going missing afterwards.

The Earl decided to put on a tournament at Elgington house in Ayrshire. This being the height of the Gothic revival the while thing was to include a medieval jousting competition. Alas this early forerunner of ‘The Gathering’ ran into several problems including the weather and the events own popularity which ended up with most of Ayrshire gridlocked.

Nevertheless one of the ideas planned for the tournament was for a ceremonial guard, The 6th Duke of Atholl, also Lord Glenlyon offered to supply this and the regiment was reborn as the Atholl Highlander’s. As a purely ceremonial guard the  regiment performed several duties such as escorting Queen Victoria during her tour of Perthshire in 1844 and while a guest at Blair Castle.

In recognition of the service performed by the Highlanders, All local volunteers raised from around the estate the Queen agreed to award them with colours and this was presented by Lady Glenlyon.

The only private army in Europe have withstood the times and indeed are still there albeit 100 strong when many other famous Scottish Regiments have long since disappeared. Many of those who have volunteered with the regiment have seen active service elsewhere, for instance serving with other regiments during both world wars.

So if you ever get into a standup fight with the Duke of Atholl and feel tempted to utter the phrase ‘oh yeah, you and whose army?’ you might want to rethink that strategy.

The post You and Whose Army? The Story of the Atholl Highlanders appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

The times they have a changed. The Great Estates are still there, but are a shadow of their former glories; the castles now lie open to the public to raise enough revenue to heat the huge halls and ballrooms that once sat at the fulcrum of society; and the lords of the manor themselves reduced to living in former servants quarters to save on the electric bill. Political changes over the last 100 years have altered the role the nobility play in our legislative procedures, and no longer is the wealth concentrated in their hands. The Middle Class, political creatures and the Nuevo Riche have stolen a march on their erstwhile lords and masters. Still, the fire is not quite out. Having a noble title still infers a certain amount of wealth; a large degree of privilege and influence and will certainly open doors (there are plenty lords of the realm sitting on boardroom tables); and of course a residual amount of deference. To visitors from overseas our castles and titles, lords and ladies can be archaic if not downright incomprehensible. But, thousand year old ways are ingrained and hard to shift.

Scotland was born out of warring factions and semi-kingdoms; a baptism of fire, and any king ruled only by the grace of his great lords. Traditionally, the nation was split into six provinces, each governed by a sub-king; such as Atholl, Moray and Fife. Our understanding of this social organisation comes from ancient, but not contemporary texts and may give an unclear, politically motivated or distorted view of Scotland1200 years ago. Indeed, like all Celtic-based societies of the time it is likely to have been far more complex, fluid and personal. The Church too played a big role and was a major landowner. The king had lots of juggling to do. By 1100, Scotland following on from the revolution in England after the Norman Conquest was introducing the Feudal System – a body politick that placed the king at the apex and then a screed of layered nobility below him ranked in order of precedence. At the bottom of course as always was the peasant who propped up the system.

The Feudal System involved reorganising trade, erecting towns and markets, streamlining authority and the wielding of real power. It was fully introduced into Lowland Scotland by 1200, but its adoption in the Highlands was far more haphazard, and in truth never fully implemented. Instead there was a two-tier system layering the aristocratic feudal structure against a traditional clan heritage. As authority became increasingly centralised around a powerful monarchy the royal house took control of lordships across the country as a tool in maintaining their authority, often displacing the native nobility: it was an omelette out of which our modern nobility was born.

From the early kinglets and a patchwork of lordships new titles emerge around 1000 – Mormaers, Thanes and Toisichs: the first two perhaps an interchangeable title that conveyed either noble rights or as placemen of the king and second only to him; the term toisich is Gaelic and probably equates to Chief, as would emerge in the developed clan system. The earliest mormaers are noted as far back as the 960s with the lords of Atholl; but by the middle of the 12^th century the title had been merged with others, including thanages, to become Earl. This is an Anglo-Saxon title, similar to the Scandinavian Jarl and comparable to the continental title Count. The adoption of the English title is symptomatic of the changes in Scottish society and language away from a traditional Celtic one; and part of a wider reorganisation.

William the Conqueror had tried to supplant the title Earl with Count in England, but without success; however, the wife of an earl would be Countess, his son a Viscount and the land under his jurisdiction a County – all European terms. In England, as in the emerging feudal Scotland, the king had parcelled the land into Shires; counties were essentially the same thing and then as now the term is interchangeable. Women can hold the rank under their own right and pass it on to their children, but use the title Countess; for example the Countess of Sutherland (her son will be the next earl).

Some earls had greater responsibilities – perhaps their lands lay along important boundaries, or controlled valuable resources; and they were given a higher rank to donate this added role. From the old French Marchis meaning a border, the title of Marquess emerged. Today there are only four marquisettes in Scotland, the oldest and most senior being the Marquess of Huntly, who is the head of the Gordon family. Ranked even higher than a marquess is that of a Duke. From the Latin Dux, the title was originally a military one, given in Roman times to province commanders. In some countries Dukes or Archdukes are ruling monarchs; and in Scotland the title was originally reserved only for senior members of the royal family – the Duke of Rothesay for example is the official Scottish title for the heir to the throne (not Prince of Wales). Not until 1643 did a non-royal receive the title – the Duke of Hamilton. Today there are seven Scottish dukes, including the Duke of Buccleuch –Britain’s largest landowner – and the Duke of Montrose, who still sits in the House of Lords.

The wife of a duke is called a duchess, but a woman cannot hold the title on her own accord; even if she’s a queen. Thus a king is also Duke of Normandy (for the Channel Islands) and Duke of Lancaster; but the present Queen is not – although she holds the titles in privilege. She is the Duchess of Edinburgh however, as she is married to the Duke of Edinburgh. There are several Royal Dukes, Edinburgh being one, including the Duke of York (Prince Andrew) and Duke of Cambridge (Prince William) – dukes are addressed as ‘your grace’, but royal dukes as ‘your royal highness’.

Ranked lower than an earl are viscounts (often the courtesy title for the eldest son of an earl), such as the Viscount Falkland; and Lords of Parliament, such as Lord Lovat. There are no Barons in the peerage of Scotland as such, and Lord of Parliament is the equivalent. However, none were created after the Union of Parliaments in 1707 instead new hereditary Scottish lords were ennobled as United Kingdom barons.

By 1900 the aristocracy owned virtually every square inch of Scotland, with vast estates such as those held by the Dukes of Sutherland, Dukes of Atholl, Earls of Breadalbane, Dukes of Argyll, Dukes of Montrose, Earls of Angus and so on. Some titles are now extinct; two world wars and subsequent social upheaval changed the landscape forever. Many have found a new role, perhaps in business; others spending more time in their roles as clan chiefs, while others a quiet life on their estates. But, the age of the warrior aristocracy which has ruled Scotland for 2500 years is in its twilight and it will probably be gone by the end of the century.

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