Regiment with 'very intricate beast' of a uniform passes fit for role inspection
Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland's ceremonial unit have passed their final inspection to ensure they are fit for role.
Balaklava Company will be undertaking state ceremonial duties at Edinburgh Castle and the official royal residence in Scotland, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
It marks the end of weeks of demanding training on the parade ground as well as taking meticulous care of their ceremonial uniforms.
The soldiers were inspected by the Commander of 51st Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Jody Davies, at the unit's base, Redford Barracks in Edinburgh.
Officer Commanding of Balaklava Company, Major Robert Weir, said: "You can tell that the effort that the troops have been putting in in the last week has paid off dividends.
"Of course it's a gradual thing, what you've seen there is the end result of about a week-and-a-half of very hard work.
"Being in the Royal Regiment of Scotland isn't as simple as being an English regiment where you merely put on a woollen suit.
"You will have noted that a lot of our footwear is a variety of different colours, so you have black polish on the shoes to make shine, whitener on your gaiters to make them gleam white, and of course neither the twain of them should meet when they are freshly done."
He went on: "You've got a variety of pieces of brass that need shined.
"Those soldiers who have been on operations make sure their medal is also polished.
"The Royal Regiment of Scotland uniform looks superb, but it is a very intricate beast to get ready."
Balaklava Company will also represent the regiment at freedom parades around Scotland during the summer season.
For some of the soldiers this will be their first ceremonial season with the unit.
Lance Corporal Mark Barilli, who recently transferred from 4 Scots, said: "So far I am really enjoying it. It's a new thing for me all the parades.
"In 4 Scots we never really did much, this is one of the first times I have actually been in the number ones dress, so it's a lot, it's different, but I'm really enjoying it – just bringing everything up getting it to look good for parades."
As well as performing ceremonial duties for the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Balaklava Company is also an infantry unit that has recently deployed to Salisbury Plain and Germany to support the Army Special Operations Brigade and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as well as conducting company training at Brecon.
Private David Holmes said: "Soldiering out in the field and soldiering on the square – they are related and sense of principle.
"Out in the field, for example, we were in Germany not that long ago. Before that we were with the Ranger battalions on their Army Special Operations Brigade exercise on Salisbury Plain.
"That part of the cycle is just to reinforce soldiering skills, getting the basics right because – at the end of the day – we are still a light role infantry company and despite being able to do all the ceremonial stuff, we do still need to the soldiering stuff as well."
Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland's ceremonial unit have passed their final inspection to ensure they are fit for role.
Balaklava Company will be undertaking state ceremonial duties at Edinburgh Castle and the official royal residence in Scotland, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
It marks the end of weeks of demanding training on the parade ground as well as taking meticulous care of their ceremonial uniforms.
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