Opening 5th September Poet, playwright, performer and soldier, Alexander James “Hamish” Mann was a talented and prolific writer whose creative ambitions were taking shape when war broke out in 1914. Sing, O Sad Heart explores the life and remarkable creative output of Hamish Mann, drawing on the extensive archive held by the museum. The exhibition … Read more
As part of the development of the temporary exhibition in 2025, Highland Laddies, we searched the photograph archive for images of boys who served in The Black Watch throughout its history. A selection of these photographs are currently displayed as a photographic collage in the temporary exhibition gallery. Photograph of D Company, 1st Battalion, Black … Read more
Summer Activities at The Black Watch Castle and Museum Join us every Tuesday throughout the summer holidays as we explore different periods from The Black Watch’s history through themed object handling sessions and drop-in crafts. From the regiment’s Highland origins through to the First and Second World Wars, each week offers families the chance to … Read more
The archive at The Black Watch Castle and Museum holds a wide range of material relating to the service of the 42nd Regiment. This includes photographs, records and other items that help us to better understand the men who served. This blog focuses on a photograph of five Sergeants of the 42nd, thought to date … Read more
The Volunteer movement can tell us a great deal about British society and how it responded to external threats during the nineteenth century, and it also played a part in the developing identity of The Black Watch as a regiment. As Project Archivist at The Black Watch Castle and Museum, I have recently been cataloguing … Read more
Highland Laddies tells the story of some of the youngest soldiers to have served in The Black Watch. From the 18th and 19th centuries through to the First World War, boys enlisted in the regiment as drummer boys, buglers, stretcher bearers and, in some cases, as front-line soldiers. Some joined seeking adventure, while for others … Read more
Marking 300 Years Since Their Formation By Pipe Major Alistair Duthie, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Association. The origins of what became The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) can be traced back 300 years to a period of instability in the Scottish Highlands following the Jacobite Rising of 1715. With local authority weakened, criminal activity … Read more
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
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
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
