Royal Scots club bosses launch a recruitment drive to encourage ex-soldiers to join

The Royal Scots have launched a recruitment drive to encourage former soldiers to join their popular Edinburgh-based club.

Brigadier George Lowder, chairman of The Royal Scots Regimental Trustees, who look after the trust fund, said the regiment is now an antecedent regiment having left the Order of Battle in 2006 when the Royal Regiment of Scotland was formed.

There are, he confirmed, still funds under investment which are for the benefit of ex-Royal Scots and those serving with The Royal Regiment of Scotland who started their career with The Royal Scots.

And Lowder said: “We are fortunate that our forebears, after World War 1, had the foresight to create a club, a living war memorial, in Abercromby Place and that club is still going strong. There are funds which help keep that club operating.

“Clearly, that club has had some difficult during COVID-19, as many hospitality outlets have, but the club is still there and, at the moment, we are trying to encourage as many ex-Royal Scots as possible to join.”

When the Royal Scots were still in the Order of Battle, soldiers were members of the club and, since 2006, that has obviously not been possible, he said.

However, the military subscription to join the private club in Edinburgh’s stylish New Town, situated in a Georgian building with elegant, three-star, hotel rooms and refined dining which is open to the public, is normally £135 a year.

Lowder said bosses were now heavily subsiding that membership and for £50 an ex-Royal Scot soldier can have annual membership. An officer will still pay the full price.

The Brigadier stressed that The Royal Scots Club at 29-31 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH3 6QE was never an exclusive officers club and has always been for all ranks. 

Generally, the regimental association runs a number of events throughout the year and it also provides a bearer/standard party for many commemorative events, not just around Remembrance Sunday in November.

For example, there is a commemorative event at the end of May. It is the postponed 80th anniversary of an action which took place in 1940 during the Second World War near to assist in the evacuation of Dunkirk when the Royal Scots were ordered, which he said was “very unusual”, to fight to the last man.

The message to ex-Royal Scots is? Lowder said: “Get involved, you don’t have to put on a tie and wear a blazer with a badge and dig out your Tartan trews. we are just happy to see you, whether it is a relaxed beer in the club or a game of golf or a cup of tea at any of the events, we are just happy to see you.”