#8202 Colonial Highlanders
Dated: September 24, 2008, updated October 14, 2008.
Highland regiments occupied a special place in the British Army. The first permanent Highland regiment was raised in the 18th century and later became famous as the Black Watch. Over the following two centuries, Highland soldiers served throughout the Empire and developed a reputation for discipline, endurance and aggressive battlefield spirit. Their kilts, tartans, sporrans and pipes made them instantly recognizable, while their service in India, Afghanistan, Egypt, the Sudan and South Africa made them a familiar subject in Victorian military art.
Box front.
This set represents Highland infantry during the later Colonial Wars, broadly from the 1870s onward. The men wear kilts with sporrans, hose, spats and foreign-service helmets wrapped with puggarees. Their rifles appear to represent the Martini-Henry, the standard British service rifle of the period. Most carry only the lighter equipment needed in action, while the marching figure wears fuller campaign kit and convincingly suggests a soldier enduring a long, hot march rather than appearing on parade.
The set contains 48 figures in eight poses, including men marching, advancing, firing, loading and fighting at close quarters. A piper provides the most distinctively Highland figure in the set. Although pipes had an important ceremonial role, pipers also accompanied their regiments on campaign and could play during marches and even under fire, helping maintain morale and regimental identity.
Line drawing
These figures are not tied to one precise regiment or campaign. With suitable tartan and facing colours, they can represent several Highland units serving during the Second Afghan War, the Egyptian and Sudan campaigns, frontier fighting in India and, with some allowance for changes in equipment, the later South African wars. The puggaree-wrapped foreign-service helmet is particularly appropriate for service in India and other hot-weather stations, and was also seen in Egypt, Afghanistan and the Sudan.
Test shot
The Highland uniform was striking but not always practical. While the kilt remained a powerful symbol of regimental identity, campaign conditions required much of the same equipment carried by ordinary British infantry: ammunition pouches, haversack, water bottle and rifle. This set combines those practical details with the unmistakable appearance that made Highland soldiers some of the best-known troops of the Victorian Empire.
Where did Victorian Highland regiments serve?
Highland regiments fought in many colonial campaigns, including:
The Second Afghan War, 1878-80
Egypt, 1882
The Sudan campaigns of the 1880s and 1890s
Indian frontier expeditions
The Second Boer War, 1899-1902
Different regiments wore different tartans and distinctions, so the same figures can represent several units through painting.
About the figures
The poses cover most of the duties needed for a battlefield unit: marching, advancing, firing, loading and close combat. The piper adds a strong regimental character, while the foreign-service helmets and light campaign equipment make the figures especially suitable for hot-weather expeditions.
Highlanders on campaign
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