Scotland’s cavalry: a formidable fighting force
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a light cavalry regiment famous for its iconic victory at the Battle of Waterloo. The regiment combines an illustrious history spanning more than 300 years with expertise in the latest battlefield reconnaissance technology.
Active from:
2 July 1971
Role:
Light Cavalry
Specialism:
Brigade Reconnaissance
Soldiers in The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are masters of reconnaissance. They include personnel with diverse skills, from snipers and machine gunners to guided missile operators, all of whom navigate across any terrain in the Jackal 2 and Coyote vehicles.
- Driving a Jackal 2 armoured vehicle
- Firing support weapons and small arms
- Communication with radios
- Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)
- Influencing decision making through the timely passage of information
- Working with minimal oversight and at reach
Past Deployments:
- Operation Cabrit (Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) in the Baltic States)
- Operation Tosca (Cyprus)
- Operation Telic (Iraq)
- Operation Herrick (Afghanistan)
Soldiers in The Royal Scots Dragoons Guards (SCOTS DG) need to be smart, fit and motivated – and despite its name, the regiment recruits from across the UK. As well as excellent soldiers, the SCOTS DG counts professional rugby players and an award-winning pipe band among its ranks.
- Lance Corporal Rokoduguni - Bath Rugby player and soldier
- Trooper Park - soldier and piper in the Pipes and Drums
- LCpl Byham - dismount and Jackal gunner
The serving regiment is currently based in Leuchars in Fife, Scotland. The regimental home headquarters are in historic Edinburgh Castle, which also contains a museum dedicated to the regiment's history.
-
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Home Headquarters
-
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
The Regiment is based at Leuchars Station in Fife.
We are a light cavalry regiment that specialises in reconnaissance. We use light vehicles such as the Jackal 2 and the Coyote tactical support vehicle to operate in front of our comrades, monitoring enemy forces and sending information back to commanders.
Our soldiers also use a formidable arsenal of weapons, including machine guns, mortars, sniper rifles and anti-tank missiles, to immobilise and destroy enemy forces.
Off the battlefield, the regiment takes part in ceremonial duties, including a prominent role in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
My role is challenging but exhilarating.
Past to present
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is made up of several historical regiments who, between them, have earned a total of 88 battle honours, 50 of which are borne on the regimental standard. The eagle on the regiment’s cap badge dates from the Battle of Waterloo, when the Royal Scots Greys captured the French Imperial Eagle.
The Royal Scots Greys (so-called for their grey horses) are formed in Scotland.
The Carabiniers are raised to supress the Duke of Monmouth’s rebellion.
The Royal Scots Greys capture the Eagle of the 45th Regiment at the battle of Waterloo.
The Royal Scots Greys take part in the charge of the Heavy Brigade at Balaclava.
All of the officers in 3rd Carabiniers’ B Squadron are killed at Nunshigum.
The Royal Scots Greys and the 3rd Carabiniers merge to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
List of equipment used
Jackal 2 is a high mobility weapons platform, with a unique air-bag suspension system allowing rapid movement across varying terrain.
Extra two wheels gives a heavier vehicle, which can act in support of the Jackal 2 to transport supplies and equipment over similar terrain.
The powerful L1A1 12.7mm (.50) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) is an updated version of the Browning M2 Fifty-cal.
The GMG is usually mounted on WMIK Land Rovers but can also be used from ground-based tripods.
They are designed to achieve a first-round hit at 600 metres and harassing fire out to 1,100 metres.
The Javelin anti-tank weapon and the Next-generation light anti-tank weapon.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us. We are keen to hear from individuals who have the skills to work with us.
Telephone: 01313 105100
Address: The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Castle, Edinburgh, EH1 2YT