Formed in Edinburgh in 1689, its first operational role was to defend the city during the period of turmoil following the accession of William and Mary of Orange. That same year the regiment fought at the Battle of Killiecrankie, where they withstood a ferocious charge by the Highlanders supporting James II. Since then, the regiment has fought in most of the major campaigns fought by the British Army.

In 1887, the regiment became The King’s Own Scottish Borderers.

It served with distinction during the two World Wars and achieved nationwide fame in 1915 when Sergeant Piper Daniel Laidlaw won the Victoria Cross during the Battle of Loos. Despite coming under heavy fire, he played his pipes in full view of the enemy, encouraging the Borderers with the sound of ‘Blue Bonnets o’er the Border’ and ‘The Standard on the Braes o’ Mar’. This concise account of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers puts its story into the context of British military history and makes use of personal testimony to reveal the life of the regiment.