A view of the amazing Scottish scenery taken from across Scotland accompanied by the music The Road To The Isles (Medley) Performed by The 1st Battalion The Queen's Own Highlanders.
The Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), officially abbreviated "QOHldrs," was an infantry regiment in the Scottish Division of the British Army. It was formed on 7 February 1961 at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, with the amalgamation of 1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. Due to the Options for Change defence review, however, 1st Battalion, Queen’s Own Highlanders was further amalgamated with 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders on 17 September 1994 to form 1st Battalion, The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons).
The Amalgamation of the Seaforth Highlanders and The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders took place on the 7th February 1961, in a simple ceremony at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh when the two regular battalions were formed into a single battalion. The officers and sergeants of the 1st Seaforth and 1st Cameron’s assembled in the officers mess, where the two stands of Colours were combined to symbolise the union, and a toast was drunk to the new regiment. That morning, at Edinburgh Castle, the last guard mounted by the 1st Cameron’s was relieved by the first guard mounted by the 1st Queen's Own Highlanders.
th April 1961 the Queen's Own Highlanders sailed for the Far East. On arrival in Singapore the battalion was stationed in Selarang Barracks, and was the British Battalion of 99 Gurkha Infantry Brigade, in the 17th Gurkha Division.
On 6th February 1962 the battalion trooped the Regimental Colours of the 1st Seaforth and 1st Cameron’s in Singapore.
The operational role of the Queen's Own Highlanders was to maintain the internal security of Singapore, but the battalion also carried out training in the British dependencies in North Borneo, supporting the civil authorities in preventing piracy, and acting as a deterrent to Indonesian interference with the North Borneo Territories. On 8th December 1962 armed rebellion broke out in the Sultanate of Brunei where rebel forces led by Azahari attacked the Sultan's palace, and also police stations and installations throughout Brunei. The rebels took hostages and seized the Shell oilfield at Seria.
Battalion Headquarters and A Company of the Queen's Own Highlanders moved at very short notice from Singapore to Brunei by air, while the destroyer HMS Cavalier sailed at full speed carrying B Company. 60 men of A Company landed by five Twin Pioneer aircraft at Seria and seized Panaga Police Station. Simultaneously the remainder of A Company landed by Beverley aircraft at Anduki Airfield, captured the control tower, and seized the Bailey bridge over the Sungei Bera. Next morning the battalion advanced through Seria, A Company clearing a strong rebel force from the Sultan's summer palace, and B Company releasing 46 European hostages from the rebel held Police Station. Finally B Company 1st/2nd Gurkhas cleared Kuala Belait. The battalion returned to Singapore in February 1963 on the Commando ship HMS Albion, after its first active service since the amalgamation of the regiment.
The 1st Battalion returned to Borneo in May 1963, when its duties included long range patrolling of the Indonesian border, and the training of local tribesmen as Border Scouts.
In March 1964 the Queen's Own Highlanders returned to Edinburgh and was billeted at Milton Bridge camp. On 21st May 1964 the battalion received its first Stand of Colours from HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel in Chief of the Regiment, at the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh.
In June 1964 the Queen's Own Highlanders moved to Mercer Barracks in Osnabruck in West Germany. The battalion formed part of 12 Infantry Brigade, in the 2ns Division, in the British Army of the Rhine.
In 1965 and 1966 the 1st Battalion won the Army Championship at the Regular Army Skills-at-Arms meeting at Bisley.
The Queen's Own Highlanders moved from Osnabruck to Berlin in August 1966, where the battalion formed part of the Berlin Infantry Brigade in the four power occupation force comprising British, US, Russian and French troops.