A tale of two Regiments and Many POW Camps!

Written by David Meldrum Lowe This is a skeletal history of my father (Pte John Murray Lowe 1904-1948, Service Number: 2976159 – POW Number: 36782) who suffered great loss in his young life, served with two of Scotland’s most famous Regiments and suffered greatly at the hands of the Germans as a POW in WW2.  … Read more

The Inspiring Story of Private Ron Wheeldon: A Black Watch POW in WWII

This blog was written by Freya, one of our three young volunteers who contributed to our special exhibition, ‘Captive Voices’. Freya will be attending university this autumn to study History. Private Ronald ‘Ron’ Wheeldon was born on 24th June 1926 in Mosborough, Sheffield. Coming from a mining family, Wheeldon chose a different path, finding work … Read more

A Piping Journey from the Farms of New Zealand to the Battlegrounds of The Black Watch

Written by Pipe Major Alistair Duthie, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Association I was born in the picturesque town of Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand, in December 1968. My family roots can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of North Sutherland and Kirriemuir, where both sides of my family hail from, proudly bearing … Read more

Keeping Robert Burns alive within The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)

Written by Captain (Retired) Alan McEwen MBE Having never read or studied the works of Robert Burns throughout my early years at home or my public schooling years in Dundee, it was not until I joined 1st Battalion The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in 1979 at the age of 21 that I began to … Read more

VE Day

Friday 8th May will mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Even during these strange times it’s important to remember what a momentous event this was after years of conflict. In this blog we look not only at the street parties that marked the end of the war but also what it looked like for The … Read more

Major Kathleen Laura Prendergast

Our Collections Assistant, Fiona, enjoys discovering forgotten stories from The Black Watch history and sharing these with our visitors today. In this blog she writes about an inspirational woman called Major Kathleen Prendergast. As society continues to recognise the importance of diversity, the need for museums to represent as many voices as possible becomes more … Read more

Mutiny in the Ranks

The history of The Black Watch is brimming with stories of bravery; from Fontenoy to The Battle of Alma through to the Chindits in World War 2. Despite this their early years included a moment of controversy. For some this was a misunderstanding caused by a regiment that did not comprehend its new role but … Read more

Reflections on the ‘War of Words’ Book Festival

Images of books

Over four hundred years of conflict, battles, wars and some very exceptional individuals were all put under the microscope at The Black Watch Castle and Museum first Book Festival on 21st and 22nd September 2019. Entitled “Words of War” and opened in the Queen Mother Room by the Festival Patron, Professor Sir Hew Strachan, there … Read more

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