One of Scotland’s historic infantry battalions will be cut and put on ceremonial duties to save The Black Watch and the remainder of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, one of the five regular battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, will be reduced to company strength about 120 men and moved into a Public Duties Incremental Company to carry out public duties in Edinburgh.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond had been under pressure to axe at least one Scottish battalion and merge the Argylls with The Black Watch to form the amalgamated Black Watch and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
But in his long-awaited announcement on the future shape of the army today he will confirm that The Black Watch, The Royal Scots Borderers, The Royal Highland Fusiliers and The Highlanders have been saved but at the expense of the Argylls.
Although the Argylls will cease to operate as an infantry battalion, its heritage will continue through the public duties company.
Currently London is the only city to have permanent public duties carried out, with sentries at the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace.
Under the plans being announced today sentries will return to Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse on a permanent basis for the first time in many years.
In recent months there has been intense speculation that the Scottish infantry could lose two battalions as the overall size of the army is reduced from just more than 100,000 to 82,000.
Fears that the ancient names of the infantry battalions might be lost provoked fury north of the border. The Courier launched a campaign to preserve the ancient heritage of The Black Watch the so-called golden thread.
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, a former Territorial Army soldier, raised the issue personally with the Prime Minister.
The Courier understands that she has been in touch with Downing Street on the matter on an almost daily basis. In David Cameron she found someone who was receptive to the arguments made and willing to listen.
A source said: ”The case was made and understood. What has been produced is something consistent with the needs of the army but one which maintains the golden thread.”