Scottish Command

File:Edinburgh Castle from Portsburgh.jpg, command headquarters from 1905 to 1955]]

Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793.Robert Burnham and Ron McGuigan, The British Army Against Napoleon: Facts, Lists and Trivia, 1805–1815 (2010) [https://books.google.com/books?id=-wGSAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA7 p. 7]. The Scottish District was commanded by the Commander-in-Chief, Scotland. In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland’ was published, with the ‘Active Army’ divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. 8th Corps was to be formed within Scottish Command, based at Edinburgh. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands.Army List 1876–1881.

The 1901 Army Estimates introduced by St John Brodrick allowed for six army corps based on six regional commands. As outlined in a paper published in 1903, VI Corps was to be formed in a reconstituted Scottish Command, with HQ at Edinburgh.Col John K. Dunlop, The Development of the British Army 1899–1914, London: Methuen, 1938. Lieutenant General Sir Charles Tucker was appointed acting General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOCinC) of VI Corps in April 1903. Scottish Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in 1955.{{cite web|url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/w/wilton_park/|title=Subterranea Britannica: Research Study Group: Sites: Wilton Park (Beaconsfield): Eastern Command War HQ & AFHQ 5|access-date=5 March 2016}}

Army Order No 324, issued on 21 August 1914, authorised the formation of a 'New Army' of six Divisions, manned by volunteers who had responded to Earl Kitchener's appeal (hence the First New Army was known as 'K1'). Each division was to be under the administration of one of the Home Commands, and Scottish Command formed what became the 9th (Scottish) Division.{{cite web|url=http://www.1914-1918.net/9div.htm|title=9th Division|publisher= The long, long trail|access-date=14 December 2015}} It was followed by 15th (Scottish) Division of K2 in September 1914.{{cite web|url=http://www.1914-1918.net/15div.htm|title=15th Division|publisher= The long, long trail|access-date=14 December 2015}} The 64th (2nd Highland) Division was established in the Command by 1915 after the departure of 51st (Highland) Division for France.{{cite web|access-date=2 February 2012|publisher=The Long Long Trail|title=64th (2nd Highland) Division|url=http://www.1914-1918.net/64%282H%29div.html}}

In September 1939 consisted of Highland Area with 9th (Highland) Infantry Division and 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, and Lowland Area with 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, plus other troops.Leo Niehorster, [http://niehorster.org/017_britain/39_commands/scottish.html Scottish Command]. Retrieved December 2008 By 1940 during the Battle of Britain the command was responsible to Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VbG8BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1943|title=If Hitler Comes: Preparing for Invasion: Scotland 1940|first=Gordon|last=Barclay|year=2013|publisher=Birlinn|isbn=978-0857905895}}

As France was capitulating, General Władysław Sikorski. the Polish commander-in-chief and prime minister, was able to evacuate many Polish troops—probably over 20,000—to the United Kingdom.{{in lang|pl}} [http://www.wspolnota-polska.org.pl/index.php?id=pb05 Wojsko Polskie we Francji]. Świat Polonii. Various sources give estimates that can differ by a few percent. After initially regrouping in southern ScotlandJames Dunnigan, Albert Nofi; Dirty Little Secrets of World War II: Military Information No One Told You By, HarperCollins, 1996, {{ISBN|0-688-12288-4}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=vF_BXyjdWJIC&dq=Royal+Air+Force+Poland+September+1939&pg=PA138 Google Print, p.139] these Polish ground units (as I Corps, comprising the 1st Independent Rifle Brigade, the 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade (as infantry) and cadre brigades largely manned by surplus officers at battalion strength) took over responsibility in October 1940 for the defence of the counties of Fife and Angus; this included reinforcing coastal defences that had already been started. I Corps was under the direct command of Scottish Command. While in this area the Corps was reorganised and expanded.Diana M. Henderson, The Lion and the Eagle: Polish Second World War Veterans in Scotland, Cualann Press, 2001, {{ISBN|0-9535036-4-X}}

In 1950, the 51st/52nd (Scottish) Division was split, restoring the independence of the 52nd Lowland Division, which took regional command of Territorial Army units based in the Scottish Lowlands, including the Territorial infantry battalions of the Lowland Brigade regiments.Reorganizing Territorials, The Times, 21 July 1960.

In 1948, the 9th Special Communications Unit was formed in Forfar administered by Scottish Command. The 30th Armoured Brigade was reformed in Scotland after the war as a fully Territorial Army formation, known as the 30th (Lowland) Independent Armoured Brigade. It was headquartered in Glasgow.{{Cite web|last=Watson|first=Graham|date=10 March 2002|title=United Kingdom: The Territorial Army 1947|url=http://www.orbat.info/history/historical/uk/ta47.html|access-date=6 January 2022|website=Information on Orders of Battle}}

File:Craigiehallold.jpg, command headquarters from 1955 to 2000]]

In 1955, Headquarters Scottish Command moved into modern facilities at Craigiehall, close to Cramond, around 9 km (5.6 mi) west of central Edinburgh. At this time, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief had 92 separate locations under his command, with 2,500 regular service men and women and 8,800 members of the Territorial Army, representing 14% of the total across the UK.Trevor Royle, "Facing the Bear: Scotland and the Cold War," via Google Books.

The Command was merged into HQ United Kingdom Land Forces (HQ UKLF) in 1972 and the headquarters in Scotland was downgraded to the status of a district, known as Army Headquarters Scotland. Scotland continued to have district status until 2000 when the last General Officer Commanding Scotland stood down and the Army HQ Scotland was replaced by HQ 2nd Infantry Division with control of troops in Scotland and the North of England.[http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/major-change-of-direction-mark-strudwick-after-commanding-the-army-in-scotland-running-psybt-is-a-surprisingly-suitable-new-career-finds-simon-bain-saturday-interview-1.16510 Major change of direction Mark Strudwick; After commanding the Army in Scotland, running PSYBT is a surprisingly suitable new career] The Glasgow Herald, 25 June 2006

Commanders-in-Chief have included:Whitaker's Almanacks 1905 – 2000{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/formations/uk-cmdarmy/uk-c-sco.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222151812/http://www.regiments.org/formations/uk-cmdarmy/uk-c-sco.htm|title=Scottish Command [UK]|archive-date=22 February 2006|access-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead}}[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf Army Commands] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |date=5 July 2015 }}

{{expand list|date=September 2012}}

• 1661–1663: John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton
• 1663–1667: John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes
• 1667–1674: George Livingston, 3rd Earl of Linlithgow (acting)
• 1674–1677: Sir George Munro
• 1677–1679: George Livingston, 3rd Earl of Linlithgow
• 1679–1679: James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch
• 1679–1685: Thomas Dalyell
• 1685–1685: George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton
• 1685–1688: William Drummond, 1st Viscount StrathallanCharles Dalton, [https://archive.org/details/scotsarmy166116800daltuoft The Scots army, 1661–1688, with memoirs of the commanders-in-chief] (London, 1909).
• 1688–1688: James Douglas
• 1689–1690: Hugh Mackay
• 1690–1697: Sir Thomas Livingstone, Viscount Teviot

• 1702–1705: George RamsayCharles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers [https://archive.org/details/englisharmylists05dalt volume 5] (London, 1902) page 226.Patrick Cracroft-Brennan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20101010002913/http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/Dalhousie1633.htm Dalhousie, Earl of (S, 1633)] in Cracroft's Peerage. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
• 1706–1710: David Melville, 3rd Earl of Leven
• 1710–1712: David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore
• 1712–1716: John Campbell, 2nd Duke of ArgyllCharles Dalton, English Army Lists and Commission Registers, [https://archive.org/details/englisharmylists06dalt volume 6] (London, 1904) page 220.
• 1716–1724: George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter
• 1724–1740: George Wade
• ...
• 1743–1745: Sir John Cope
• 1745–1745: Roger Handasyd
• 1745–1746: Henry Hawley (Prince William, Duke of Cumberland in overall command)
• 1746–1747: William Anne Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle
• 1747–1752: Humphrey Bland
• 1752–1753: George Churchill{{London Gazette|issue=9140|page=2|date=11–15 February 1752}}
• 1753–1756: Humphrey Bland{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=9321|page=1|date=17–20 November 1753}}
• 1756–1767: Lord George BeauclerkR. S. Lea, [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/beauclerk-george-1704-68 BEAUCLERK, Lord George (1704–68).] in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715–1754 (1970). Online version. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
• 1767–1778: John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne
• 1778–1780: Sir James Adolphus Oughton
• 1780–1787: Alexander MackayEdith, Lady Haden-Guest, [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/mackay-hon-alexander-1717-89 MACKAY, Hon. Alexander (1717–89), of Strathtongue, Sutherland.] in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754–1790 (1964). Online version. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
• ...
• 1789–1798: Lord Adam Gordon
• 1798–1799: Sir Ralph AbercrombyD. G. Henry, [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/abercromby-sir-ralph-1734-1801 ABERCROMBY, Sir Ralph (1734–1801), of Tullibody, Clackmannan.] in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820 (1986). Online version. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
• ...
• 1803–1806: Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira
• 1806–1812: William Cathcart, 1st Viscount Cathcart
• 1812–1816: Henry WynyardRichard Cannon, [https://archive.org/details/histrecordforty00canniala Historical Record of the Forty-Sixth, or the South Devonshire Regiment of Foot] (London, 1851) pages 71–72.
• 1816–1819: Sir John Hope{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hOcNAAAAQAAJ&q=scotland|title=Army List January 1817|year=1817|access-date=21 December 2014}}
• 1819–1825: Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas BradfordRon McGuigan, [http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/biographies/BritishGenerals/c_Britishgenerals68.html Bradford, Thomas] in British Generals of the Napoleonic Wars 1793–1815. The Napoleon Series, 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
• 1825–1830: Lieutenant-General Sir Robert O'CallaghanRon McGuigan, [http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/biographies/BritishGenerals/c_Britishgenerals95.html O'Callaghan, Robert William] in British Generals of the Napoleonic Wars 1793–1815. The Napoleon Series, 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
• 1830–1837: General Patrick Stuart{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RroUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA305 |title=The Gentleman's magazine|access-date=29 November 2014|last1=Cave|first1=Edward|year=1855}}
• 1837–1842: General Lord Greenock{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4886?docPos=2 | title=Charles Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart | date=2004 | doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/4886 |access-date=29 November 2014}}
• 1842–1847: Lieutenant-General Sir Neil Douglas{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7913?docPos=1|title=Neil Douglas|date=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/7913 |access-date=29 October 2014}}
• 1847–1852: General Henry Riddell{{London Gazette|issue=20711|page=918|date=5 March 1847}}
• 1852–1854: General Sir Thomas Napier{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19771?docPos=2|title=Thomas Ernest Napier|date=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/19771 |access-date=29 October 2014}}
• 1854–1860: General Viscount Melville{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8251?docPos=2|title=Henry Dundas, 3rd Viscount Melville|date=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/8251 |access-date=29 November 2014}}
• 1860–1861: Major-General Duncan Cameron{{cite encyclopedia | last = Wards | first = Ian McLean | title =CAMERON, Sir Duncan Alexander, G.C.B. | encyclopedia =An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand | year = 1966 | url =http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/cameron-sir-duncan-alexander-gcb|access-date=30 November 2014}}
• 1861–1867: Major-General Edward Forestier-Walker{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotreg/rosshire/ross6.htm|title=The 78th Highlanders or Ross-Shire Buffs|publisher=Electric Scotland|access-date=1 December 2014}}

• 1868–1873: Major-General Randal Rumley{{cite web|url=http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/Cudmore.pdf|title=News|publisher=Limerick City|year=1868|access-date=30 November 2014}}
• 1873–1875: Major-General Sir John Douglas{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotreg/camerons/chap3.htm|title=The 79th Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 1873 – 1886|access-date=29 November 2014}}
• 1875–1878: Major-General John Stuart{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/historicalrecord00clarrich/historicalrecord00clarrich_djvu.txt|title=Historical record and regimental memoir of the Royal Scots fusiliers, formerly known as the 21st Royal North British fusiliers. Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1678 and its subsequent services until June 1885|date=21 April 1885 |access-date=29 November 2014}}
• 1878–1880: Major-General Robert Bruce{{cite web|url=http://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/pageturner.cfm?id=104549222&mode=transcription|title=Hart's Army List 1879|page=117|access-date=23 July 2016}}
• 1880–1881: Major-General William Hope{{London Gazette|issue=24954|page=1360|date=25 March 1881}}
• 1881–1885: Major-General Alastair Macdonald{{cite web|url=http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/angus-macdonald/the-clan-donald-volume-3-dca/page-32-the-clan-donald-volume-3-dca.shtml|title=The clan Donald (Volume 3)|access-date=29 November 2014}}
• 1885–1888: Major-General Alexander Elliot{{London Gazette|issue=25452|page=1197|date=17 March 1885}}
• 1888–1893: Major-General Sir Arthur Lyttelton-Annesley{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=25784|page=819|date=7 February 1888}}

• 1893–1894: Major-General Arthur Lyon Fremantle{{London Gazette|nolink=y|issue=26372|page=822|date=14 February 1893}}
• 1894–1896: Major-General Sir Hugh Rowlands{{cite DWB|id=s3-ROWL-HUG-1828|title=Rowlands, Sir Hugh|access-date=29 November 2014}}

• 1896 – 1901 Lieutenant General Sir Edward Chapman
• 1901 – 1903 Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Hunter{{London Gazette |issue=27312 |date=10 May 1901 |page=3202}}
• 1903 – 1905 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Tucker

• 1905 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Tucker
• 1905 – 1909 Lieutenant General Sir Edward Leach
• 1909 – 1913 Lieutenant General Sir Bruce Hamilton
• 1913 – 1914 Lieutenant General Sir James Wolfe Murray
• 1914 – 1918 Lieutenant General Sir Spencer Ewart
• 1918 – 1919 Lieutenant General Sir Frederick McCracken
• 1919 – 1923 Lieutenant General Sir Francis Davies
• 1923 – 1926 Lieutenant General Sir Walter Braithwaite
• 1926 – 1930 Lieutenant General Sir William Peyton
• 1930 – 1933 General Sir Percy Radcliffe
• 1933 – 1937 General Sir Archibald Cameron
• 1937 – 1940 General Sir Charles Grant
• 1940 – 1941 Lieutenant General Sir Harold Carrington
• 1941 – 1945 Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Thorne
• 1945 – 1947 Lieutenant General Sir Neil Ritchie
• 1947 – 1949 Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison
• 1949 – 1952 Lieutenant General Sir Gordon MacMillan
• 1952 – 1955 Lieutenant General Sir Colin Barber
• 1955 – 1958 Lieutenant General Sir Horatius Murray
• 1958 – 1961 Lieutenant General Sir George Collingwood
• 1961 – 1964 Lieutenant General Sir William Turner
• 1964 – 1966 Lieutenant General Sir George Gordon-Lennox
• 1966 – 1969 Lieutenant General Sir Derek Lang
• 1969 – 1972 Lieutenant General Sir Henry Leask

• 1972 – 1976 Lieutenant General Sir Chandos Blair
• 1976 – 1979 Lieutenant General Sir David Scott-Barrett
• 1979 – 1980 Lieutenant General Sir Michael Gow
• 1980 – 1982 Lieutenant General Sir David Young
• 1982 – 1985 Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Boswell
• 1985 – 1988 Lieutenant General Sir Norman Arthur
• 1988 – 1991 Lieutenant General Sir John MacMillan
• 1991 – 1993 Lieutenant General Sir Peter Graham
• 1993 – 1995 Major-General Michael Scott
• 1995 – 1997 Major-General Jonathan Hall
• 1997 – 2000 Major-General Mark Strudwick

:Note: There was no General Officer Commanding, Scotland between 2000 and 2012

• 2012 – 2015 Major-General Nick Eeles

• 2015–2017 Major-General Nicholas Ashmore
• 2017–2019 Major-General Bob Bruce
• 2019–2021 Major-General Tim Hyams
• 2021–2023 Major-General William Wright
• 2023–present Major-General Robin Lindsay{{London Gazette |issue=64200 |date=17 October 2023 |page=20803 |supp= y}}

{{reflist}}

{{British Army District Commands}}

{{British armies, commands, and corps during the Second World War}}

Category:Commands of the British Army

Category:Military of Scotland

Category:1905 establishments in Scotland