Royal Scots (Jacobite)

The establishment of the Regiment Royal-Ecossais was set at 12 companies, each of 55 men;^[4] one grenadier company and 11 fusilier companies. While officers in the period were still reluctant to adopt standard uniforms, the men were issued with dark blue coats of French cut and facings of orange-red "rouge a l'Ecossoise", waistcoats of the facing colour, white breeches and a laced hat.^[7] Uniforms were kept for special occasions, like battles; rough grey was usually worn for everyday use.^[7] During the 1745 rising, Jacobite service was indicated by white cockades worn in the hat: while they are sometimes said to have worn the distinctive woollen blue bonnet while in Scotland,^[8] this probably applied only to officers or to those recruits raised later in Perth.

Their colours, recorded in a French document of 1748, featured a St Andrew's Cross and thistles with a fleur-de-lis and the motto Nemo me impune lacessit.^[9]

The Royal-Ecossais initially served under Saxe and are widely said to have been present at Fontenoy in May 1745, though this may refer only to elements of the unit.

In late November 1745 they were embarked for Scotland. Not all units sent by the French were able to pass through the British blockade; one company (including MacDonnell of Glengarry) was captured with L'Esperance off the Dogger Bank, but Drummond and the remainder, under cover of a gale, were able to reach Montrose on 7 December. Most of the regiment was employed at Stirling in late January; constructing gun emplacements under fire caused regular casualties. In February recruitment began in Perth to raise a second battalion; this was not especially successful but the regiment was around 350 strong by the time of Culloden.

At Culloden the Royal-Ecossais appear to have been positioned flanking the right of the second line, though one source places them in the centre.^[10] After the failure of the Jacobite first line's attack, Lt-Col Lewis Drummond's battalion formed square before surrendering; other elements of the regiment under Maj. Matthew Hale covered the retreat of some of the Jacobite units towards Ruthven, surrendering two days later.

The government was initially unsure whether to regard British subjects in the Royal-Ecossais as rebels or prisoners of war. France responded by demanding the passports of all British people in France and threatening to arrest any found without one; the British government backed down and most from the French regiments were eventually discharged.^[1] Although many of them were found to be Scots or English Protestants, the authorities decided not to risk making further difficulties from the situation apart from 16 found to be deserters, who were hanged after courts martial.^[11]

During 1747 the regiment rebuilt to make up for losses sustained at Culloden and as prisoners of war returned from Britain. Back on the Continent, John Drummond served at the Siege of Bergen op Zoom in July–September 1747, where he was Brigadier in command of the piquets in the trenches; his regiment however does not seem to have joined him, being first recorded in October as part of the Armee de Saxe at Nieuport.^[12] Drummond died at Bergen op Zoom towards the end of the siege and Lewis Drummond took over as Colonel, with Lancelot Cuthbert of Castlehill as Lieutenant-Colonel.

The Royal-Ecossais' colonel from 1757 onwards was David Wemyss, Lord Elcho, an exiled veteran of the 1745 Rising; Elcho was left embittered by the regiment's disbandment, as well as with his experience of Jacobite and French service in general.^[11] Several other prominent Jacobite exiles also continued to serve as officers, amongst them Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, Donald MacDonnell of Lochgarry and Archibald Cameron of Lochiel, who was captain of the regiment's grenadier company.^[11]

It continued service during the Seven Years' War, often on garrison duties, until disbandment as the war was ending. The Royal-Ecossais regimental traditions were preserved by the French Army's 87th Infantry Regiment until the latter was disbanded in 1940.^[11]