The Highlanders to have Homecoming Parade in Inverness

To mark their recent return from operations in Afghanistan, soldiers from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) will return from their permanent base in Germany to take part in a Homecoming Parade in Inverness on Friday.

The battalion will also receive The Royal Regiment of Scotland’s New Colours which will be presented by HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in a historic ceremony at RAF Kinloss on Saturday.

4 SCOTS were in Afghanistan when The Colonel in Chief of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Her Majesty the Queen, presented the new colours to the other six battalions of the regiment on 2nd July this year in Edinburgh. This was the Regiment’s first ever colours presentation. Colours are normally presented only every 20-25 years – probably only once in a soldier’s career.

Homecoming Parades enable soldiers to thank family and friends from local communities for the support they received during their six month deployment. Around 500 soldiers deployed to the Helmand Province in April 2011, where they supported 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. They took on a variety of roles, including training and mentoring Afghan Security Forces.

Colours are incredibly important to any Army unit as they represent the spirit of the battalion. They consist of two large brocade and embroidery flags and were originally carried into battle so that soldiers of a particular unit could see where the rest of their unit was located.

The Infantry units of the British Army each have two Colours; the Queen’s Colour, which is the union flag, and a Regimental Colour, which has all the unit’s battle honours inscribed on it.

The Inverness parade will start at 11.15am at Glebe Street, Inverness.

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