In 2006 the title 'Highlanders' finally disappeared from the British Army's list of infantry regiments after nearly 270 years. Throughout this period Scottish Highland units distinguished themselves in battle, but it was in the 19th-century heyday of the British Empire that they acquired an elite reputation and their colourful uniforms evolved to their full complexity. This book traces and explains the identity and appearance of the individual regiments throughout Queen Victoria's reign, illustrating a wide variety of their home service uniforms with engravings, paintings, photographs, and full colour plates specially researched and prepared for this tribute to a unique military tradition.

The Scottish regiments post-Waterloo: dramatic increase in public reputation - restoration of the kilt (previously forbidden on political grounds since Jacobite rebellion) to unkilted units · Chronology of campaigns - e.g. South Africa, Canada, Crimea, Indian Mutiny, Persia, North-west Frontier, Afghanistan · Unit organization and evolution throughout the century, culminating in Cardwell reforms of 1880s and granting of formal title 'Highlanders' · Uniform evolution throughout the century, with increasing introduction of romantic 'clan' distinctions

Stuart Reid was born in Aberdeen in 1954 and is married with one son. He has worked as a librarian and a professional soldier and his main focus of interest lies in the 18th and 19th centuries. This interest stems from having ancestors who served in the British Army and the East India Company and who fought at Culloden, Bunker Hill and the Texas Revolution. His previous works for Osprey include the highly acclaimed titles about King George's Army 1740-93 (Men-at-Arms 285, 289 and 292) and the British Redcoat 1740-1815 (Warriors 19 and 20). The author lives in Whitley Bay, UK.