Hackle - British Army - Non-Fusilier Regiments

Non-Fusilier Regiments

Non-fusilier regiments which wear the hackle are:

  • Irish Guards (pipers on caubeen only): St Patrick's blue
  • Liverpool Scottish (now a platoon of A (King's) Company, King's and Cheshire Regiment): Royal blue
  • London Irish Rifles (now D (London Irish Rifles) Company, London Regiment): Green
  • Royal Irish Regiment (as the direct descendent of two regiments of fusiliers): Green
  • Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (on pipers' feather bonnet in Full Dress, pipers' / drummers' glengarry /atholl bonnet in No.1 and No.2 dress): White
  • Royal Welsh (Other Ranks only): White
  • Scots Guards (pipers on feather bonnet only): Blue over red
  • The Queen's University Officers' Training Corps: St Patrick's Blue (A Coy Caubeen Only)
  • Royal Air Force (pipe band only): Blue

Following the amalgamation of the regiments of the Scottish Division to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006, the following hackles are being worn by the regiment's constituent battalions:

  • Royal Scots Borderers (1 SCOTS): Black
  • Royal Highland Fusiliers (2 SCOTS): White
  • Black Watch (3 SCOTS): Red
  • The Highlanders (4 SCOTS): Blue
  • Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 SCOTS): Green
  • 52nd Lowland Regiment (6 SCOTS): Grey
  • 51st Highland Regiment (7 SCOTS): Purple

Whilst the white hackle of 2 SCOTS, red hackle of 3 SCOTS and blue hackle of 4 SCOTS have a known ancestry, the origin of 1 SCOTS black hackle and 5 SCOTS green hackle are not clear and have no apparent precedent. It may be that the black hackle of 1 SCOTS simulates the black-cock tail feathers originally worn in the 1904 pattern Kilmarnock Bonnet and latterly in the regimental Glengarry Cap by the Royal Scots and King's Own Scottish Borderers, who merged in August 2006 to form 1 SCOTS. Alternatively, it may be a sympathetic gesture to a former Lowland regiment, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), who went into 'suspended animation' in 1968 (and later disbanded), who wore a black hackle in their rifle green dress Balmoral. The adoption of the green hackle now being worn by the Argylls battalion (5 SCOTS) is no doubt a continuation of that regiment's association with the colour green, most prominent in the hue of their regimental kilts and stripes on their regimental association ties. (It is, however, worthy of note that in the 19th Century, all line regiments of the British Army used to designate their "light company" with a green hackle.) The Regimental Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland does not wear the hackle. However, the Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Territorial Army) continues to wear the red hackle with the Tam o' Shanter. Tradition holds that the black hackle originated as a Scottish tradition of wearing a black feather in your hat to signify you have an ongoing quarrel with someone.


Former non-fusilier regiments, now amalgamated, which also wore the hackle were:

  • 40 (Ulster) Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals: Navy blue, sky blue and green.
  • Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major): White
  • Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: (Pipers only) Black Cock Feather
  • Black Watch: Red
  • The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles): Black
  • Gordon Highlanders: Feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major: White, Bandsmen: Red and White
  • Gordon Highlanders: (Pipers only) Black Cock Feather
  • Highland Light Infantry: White over red
  • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons): Royal blue
  • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons): (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major) White
  • The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons): (Pipers only) Eagle feather
  • Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: Royal blue
  • Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major) White
  • Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders: (Pipers only) Eagle feather
  • Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): Royal blue
  • Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major) White
  • Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons): (Pipers only) Eagle feather
  • Queen's Royal Irish Hussars (pipers on caubeen only): White over red
  • Royal Irish Rangers: Green
  • Royal Corps of Transport (pipers on feather bonnet only): Red over white over blue
  • Royal Ulster Rifles: Black
  • Seaforth Highlanders (feather bonnet only - Drummers and Drum Major): White
  • Seaforth Highlanders (Pipers only) Black Cock Feather
  • No. 9 Commando and No. 11 (Scottish) Commando: Black

Read more about this topic:  Hackle, British Army