I thank all colleagues who signed the motion, and I also thank the First Minister for his presence—I know that he has deep connections with the Black Watch. I extend a warm welcome to the members of the Black Watch Association, with their famous red hackles, who are in the public gallery.

We are, of course, celebrating the tercentenary of the origins of the Black Watch, which is a momentous event that provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the impact of that proud regiment over the course of its long history. We know that that impact was greatly treasured by the late Queen Mother, who was the regiment’s longest-serving colonel in chief.

The Black Watch formed in a unique way, during a period of instability in the Scottish Highlands. As we all know, Jacobitism—the desire of some clans to return the house of Stuart to the British throne—precipitated several rebellions in the early 18th century and, in 1725, six independent companies, later called the Black Watch, were raised by General George Wade, comprising clans deemed loyal to the Crown, including the Campbells, Grants, Munros and, indeed, the esteemed clan Fraser, who we will no doubt hear from later in the debate.

The Highland watches, as they were collectively known, were tasked with policing the Highlands and enforcing the Disarming Act 1715, gaining distinction from regular soldiers as am Freiceadan Dubh, because of their dark tartan kilts, which, of course, remain a staple of the uniform today.

King George II authorised the raising of a further four companies, which, together, would form a regiment of the line, first parading in Aberfeldy in 1740. Two years later, the regiment was sent to Flanders to fight the French, leaving much historical speculation as to whether the Jacobite rebellion in 1745—culminating in the final large-scale battle on British soil, the battle of Culloden—could have been possible had the Black Watch remained stationed in the Highlands. The subsequent defeat of Charles Edward Stuart’s forces ended decades of civil unrest in the British Isles, creating stability at home and enabling global colonial expansion.

It did not take long for the Black Watch to gain its worldwide reputation for fearlessness in the face of the enemy. In the regiment’s very first engagement, at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745, a French officer described the Black Watch as

“Highland Furies who rushed in on us with more violence than ever did the sea driven by tempest”.

Despite British defeat, the regiment’s valiant conduct was noticed by the Duke of Cumberland, who was greatly impressed by its Highland style of fighting.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Black Watch was heavily involved in every major British campaign across the globe, starting with the seven years war, in the North American continent. During the subsequent American war of independence, the Black Watch helped to inflict a crushing defeat on George Washington’s forces at the battle of Long Island in 1776. Further, of course, the Black Watch was in the thick of the fighting during the 1815 battle of Waterloo, which saw the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, paving the way for pax Britannica and Britain’s rise to global dominance.

Throughout that period, the Black Watch was active across the globe—in the Crimea, India, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa—and I look forward to other members’ speeches, which may delve deeper into some of the gallantry across the world, which shaped the international reputation of this proud regiment.

The Black Watch was, of course, involved in some of our country’s darkest moments. In the first world war, the regiment was seriously depleted, suffering more than 8,000 fatalities in costly battles such as Loos, the Somme and Passchendaele. Among those members of the regiment who were killed was Fergus Bowes-Lyon, the brother of the late Queen Mother.

In the second world war, soldiers of the Black Watch were victims of the German blitzkrieg in France, but the regiment rebounded, contributing to the defeat of Erwin Rommel’s forces at the battle of El Alamein—one of the major turning points of the war—and participating in the invasions of Sicily and Normandy, and also of Burma, when Field Marshal Wavell, or Earl Wavell, the most distinguished Black Watch officer, was commander-in-chief and viceroy of India.

Throughout the post-war era, the Black Watch largely returned to its original roots as a police force, engaging in peacekeeping and counterinsurgency roles once again, in Kenya, Cyprus, the troubles in Northern Ireland and Iraq.

In 1963, the Black Watch pipes and drums and military band toured the USA and were invited to play at the White House. Nine days later, President Kennedy was assassinated and Jacqueline Kennedy requested that the Black Watch pipe major and eight pipers play at the funeral—they led the cortege from the White House to Washington cathedral.

Just as they had been active during the rapid expansion of empire, soldiers from the Black Watch were also the last troops to leave the Hong Kong garrison during the handover of 1997, marking the end of the British empire.

Many changes and reforms have impacted on the Black Watch over the centuries, including what was at the time the highly controversial merger in 2006 of the distinct Scottish regiments into the Royal Regiment of Scotland. During my early days of election campaigning, along with the First Minister at the time, that was a very emotive issue, not least because the regiment was on active duty in Iraq. What has never changed is the exceptionally high regard in which the regiment is held, not just in Britain but across the world. One has only to look across the Atlantic to the Canadian Black Watch, with its own Highland heritage of tartan, bagpipes and a distinct red hackle, to appreciate some of the far-reaching legacy.

I will finish by honouring all those who have served and died in this historic Highland regiment, and to pledge our support to the veterans and their families, some of whom are with us today. The Black Watch continues to instil an enormous sense of pride in those of us who live in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Angus and Dundee. It is truly a pillar of our regional identity. I also thank all the volunteers at Balhousie castle in Perth, who maintain an excellent establishment to keep the history of this proud regiment alive.

I have the immense pleasure of knowing many Black Watch veterans, some of whom are here today. Their unyielding loyalty and dedication to duty and public service are always evident. Reaching 300 years is strong testament to the commitment and tenacity of the exemplary Black Watch individuals who have dedicated their lives to the service of this country. Long may that story continue.