Our Uniforms
Reading Scottish Pipe Band is one of the few Bands in the area to have both full number one dress, including doublet, plaid and feather bonnet, as well as day dress, with black jackets, shirt, tie and glengarry.
The Band wears full number one dress for all engagements, except when it is warm in which case day dress will be worn, or when it is raining, when capes may be worn over the kit, and the feather bonnets may be withdrawn in favour of the glengarry. For competitions and otherwise by specific arrangement the Band wears day dress.
The Band tartan is Cameron of Erracht. This was chosen when the band was formed by former pipers of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders who also wear this tartan.
– Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders on wikipedia
Quoting from this article, the regiment was raised as the 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameronian Volunteers) on August 17, 1793 at Fort William from among the members of the Clan Cameron by Sir Allan Cameron of Erracht. Originally on the Irish establishment, it became part of the British Army in 1804, and in 1806 it was renamed as the 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameronian Highlanders).
On raising, it was decided that the red-based Cameron tartan would not be used, and instead a new design was devised. The Cameron of Erracht tartan was based on the Macdonald sett with the addition of a yellow line from the Cameron tartan, and the omission of three red lines found in that of Macdonald.
In 1871 Queen Victoria directed that the regiment became known as the 79th Regiment, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders; in 1881 the 79th foot was redesignated as 1st Battalion The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders; and in 1961 (under the 1957 Defence Review) the Camerons were amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons).
Band Practice