Cameronians regimental collection named as of National Significance
The regimental collections of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) have been granted Recognition Status as part of a partnership bid through the Association of Scottish Military Museums. The award is made by Museums Galleries Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The combined Collection of the Scottish Regimental Museums has been Recognised as Nationally Significant to Scotland. These are the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Royal Scots, The Kings Own Scottish Borderers, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), The Royal Highlanders (The Black Watch), The Highlanders (Queens Own Highlanders Collection), The Gordon Highlanders and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Together they tell part of Scotland’s story, since before the Act of Union up until the present day. This is only the second distributed collection application to be successful – the first being the National Burns Collection.
Regimental pattern officers sword, purchased by Sir Evelyn Wood VC for his son, Arthur
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) collections are owned by South Lanarkshire Council, and are under the care and management of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture. The collection is showcased in Low Parks Museum in Hamilton. It charts the regiment’s history spanning almost 300 years of service across the globe. It contains objects from its Covenanting origins, to the disbandment of the 1st Battalion in 1968, and beyond. The core regimental displays were refurbished in 2013 through a project funded by Museums Galleries Scotland and The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Regimental Trust. Low Parks Museum displays highlight the strong local connections The Cameronians shared with the towns and villages of South Lanarkshire. The regiment was originally formed as the Earl of Angus’ Regiment in Douglas, on 14th May 1689, and the 1st Battalion The Cameronians was disbanded there on 14th May 1968. Hamilton was home to the Regimental Depot from the creation of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1881 until its move to Winston Barracks in Lanark in 1947. Hamilton has also been home of the Regimental Collection since the 1960s.
Display of regimental uniform in Low Parks Museum
Star objects on show include the sword of William Cleland, first Commanding Officer of the Earl of Angus’ Regiment; one of the first Colours carried in battle by antecedent regiment – the 90th Perthshire Volunteers; a unique collection of regimental uniform; and a medal collection charting the Regiment’s involvement in conflicts since the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s to Aden in the 1960s – including seven Victoria Cross medals awarded to men of the regiment.
Model soldiers depicting a patrol in Aden, c.1966
Behind the scenes, continuing cataloguing and digitisation work helps improve our understanding of the objects in the collection, and their significance to local, Scottish and world history. A large selection of the regimental collections can be viewed online through South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture’s website – http://www.slleisureandculture.co.uk/info/206/online
It is through the Association of Scottish Military Museums that the 10 museums work together. The Association also works closely with the Scottish National War Museum and the National Army Museum to ensure that Scotland’s military story is told to as wide an audience as possible. The Collection, comprising of over 160,000 objects, is distributed across Scotland; in Fort George, Aberdeen, Perth, Stirling Castle, Glasgow, Hamilton, and Edinburgh Castle, and also across the border in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Miniature painting of the Honourable Mrs Graham, wife of Thomas Graham, founder of the 90th Perthshire Volunteers
The Recognition Scheme ensures that Scotland’s most important museum collections are identified, cared for and promoted to wider audiences. The award also opens up access for the partners of the Association of Scottish Military Museums to apply for Recognition funding from Museums Galleries Scotland to improve how people experience and engage with the Collection.
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