London Scottish Pipes and Drums Remembrance Parade 10 November 2024

London Scottish Pipes and Drums play Black Bear as they march back to Horseferry Road, 10 November 2024 Scots Guards, G (Messines) Company, 1st Battalion London Guards of the Army Reserve holds a church parade on Remembrance Sunday in the afternoon. The company marches from London Scottish House in Horseferry Road, Westminster to St Columba’s Church near Sloane Square accompanied by the London Scottish Association Pipes and Drums. They return later in the afternoon by which time it is already dark. The London Scottish Association Pipes and Drums are not formally part of the British Army but are closely associated with it through its historical and ongoing connection to the London Scottish Regiment, which was a reserve infantry regiment and later a company of the British Army until 2022. The regiment was founded in 1859 as part of the Volunteer Force and the Pipes and Drums were established shortly after in 1860, making it one of the oldest pipe bands in the world. The Pipes and Drums are a civilian organization that maintains the traditions of the London Scottish Regiment, wearing its distinctive Hodden Grey tartan and performing at military and public events, such as the Lord Mayor’s Show, Remembrance Day ceremonies, and the Household Division’s Military Musical Spectacular. While it supports military functions and is tied to the regiment’s heritage, it is not a regular or reserve unit of the British Army, and its members are not military personnel. Instead, it operates under the London Scottish Regimental Association and Trusts, focusing on preserving regimental legacy and participating in civilian and competitive piping events. The London Scottish Regiment itself transitioned over time, becoming A (The London Scottish) Company of the London Regiment until 2022, when its soldiers transferred to the Scots Guards, forming G (Messines) Company, 1st Battalion London Guards. The Pipes and Drums, however, remain a separate entity, not integrated into the British Army’s formal structure but maintaining strong ties through tradition and ceremonial roles.