Lovat Scouts Dress Uniform during the Late XIX/Early XX Century

Did this regiment had a dress uniform? If so, what was it? I've only seen pictures of them in drab uniforms....

Dear These images may help you.

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Mounted Lovat Scouts
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Bagpiper of Lovat Scout

Regards
Shams

Hi Abadu. The Lovat Scouts were raised in January 1900, specifically as a corps of stalkers and ghillies from the Scottish estate of Simon 16th Lord Lovat, for service in the South African War where things were going badly for the British regular army. Recruiting was extended to other estates and then volunteers were accepted from elsewhere in Scotland. It all sounds quaintly feudal but the newly raised unit apparently performed well in South Africa as mounted infantry. After the war the Lovat Scouts continued in existence as part of the Yeomanry (part-time mounted volunteers).

The first uniform (1900-1903) was the standard khaki serge of Boer War service with slouch hat. Upon their transformation into Yeomanry a "workmanlike and serviceable" khaki field service uniform was chosen which remained in use for nearly all purposes until 1914. One minor distinction was dark blue piping on the riding breeches. Officers did however have a optional mess dress from 1906 on which comprised a dark blue mess jacket with trews of Hunting Fraser tartan (about as indescribable as most Scottish tartans). In 1911 a "full or levee dress" of blue bonnet with blue and white dicing, dark blue tunic and Hunting Fraser overalls (tight trousers) was put up for approval in a Royal Submission that noted "The Corps has up to the present had no uniform other than (khaki) service dress". This new dress uniform appears to have been only worn by a few officers on rare occasions and was never taken into general use. Finally, there was a special full dress for regimental pipers between 1908 and 1914, comprising the Lovat Scout bonnet as described above, a dark blue Highland doublet and a kilt in Hunting Fraser.

In short, the Lovat Scouts were much drabber than nearly all of the other Yeomanry regiments during the pre-1914 period, and took pride in their serviceable appearance. Their regimental dress distinctions were the Lovat Scout bonnet worn by all ranks for drill, work and off duty wear from 1906 on and a drab slouch hat, turned up at the left and with a small black upright horsehair plume, worn for parade. They did of course have a regimental badge comprising a "Royal stag's head within a strap". The dark blue "frock" (tunic) and tartan trews shown in the picture supplied by Shams were a special issue worn by the Lovat Scouts detachment at the Coronation of George VI in 1937.

Hope this helps.

Thanks guys! I was having a real hard time looking for this.

Dear mconrad,
Thanks a lot. Cuff design of officers of Lovat scouts and Scottish Horse are same? Is there any image of the cuff designs of the different grades of Officers of Scottish Horse?
Regards
Shams

Just these pictures. No discussion of officer rank distinctions. I have the feeling this one is a field-grade officer, also called staff-grade officers, or--confusingly to my mind--staff officers. Anyways, a major or higher.


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Also, this page might be useful. It is not intended to address any specific regiment in particular.

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Bagpiper of Lovat Scout

Regards
Shams[/quote]

How confident are you of the attribution to the Lovat Scouts? They are a post-1900 unit, and at first look I would have dated this photo from before 1900. Uniforms of the Yeomanry only reference a post-1908 pipers' full-dress uniform in dark blue (see the illustration above).