By Steve Bargeton, political editor

THE FIGHT to save The Black Watch was on last night just 24 hours after it appeared that the regiment was doomed.

However, one of Scotland’s six infantry battalions will be axed and today The Courier launches a campaign to save The Black Watch and see it become part of the new army structure north of the Border.

Army chiefs yesterday launched a rearguard action to try to clarify the confusion over the fate of the Scottish regiments in the aftermath of Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon’s swingeing cuts.

It emerged that the remaining five will continue albeit as part of one or two “super regiments” instead of the existing five individual regiments.

This means that if The Black Watch survives the cull, it would continue as part of the regimental family of TA, cadets and veterans associations with its own commanding officer, regimental sergeant major and command structure but as, perhaps, the 1st Battalion The Scottish Regiment or the 1st Battalion The Highland Regiment.

The six single-battalion infantry regiments are The Black Watch, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, The Royal Scots, The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and The Highlanders.

And yesterday, at a Press conference in Glasgow, Scotland’s senior serving soldier Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin, himself a former commanding officer of The Black Watch, said there was all to play for in respect of which battalions would survive.

“There is no foundation in the speculation that The Black Watch is at greater risk than anyone else,” he said.

“There is no regiment which is more vulnerable than another regiment.”

General Irwin, the army’s adjutant general and also colonel commandant of the Scottish Division and Colonel of The Black Watch, said that over the next two months the new structure of the Scottish Division would be decided, with an announcement in October.

Asked whether Scotland would have one regiment of five battalions or two regiments of three and two battalions, General Irwin said, “The answer is that we don’t absolutely know what the model will be.

“The likely runners are two regiments, one highland and one lowland, or one regiment for Scotland.”

The army is keen to move to a larger regimental system for operational reasons. The current “arms plot” where battalions are sent all over the world on tours lasting between six months and three years is to end.

It is because of the arms plot that The Black Watch had to return to Iraq so soon after coming home, as they were the only available infantry battalion trained in the armoured role.

The idea is that the new bigger regiments will remain “in role” and rotate their battalions through overseas or other postings.

All that though is for the longer-term future. The immediate issue facing General Irwin and other senior Scottish infantry officers is which battalion will go. He said that it was with a “sense of pain” that he and his fellow senior officers will begin the task of deciding which of the six infantry battalions is to go.

“Obviously the consultations and the subsequent decision that we shall make are going to be very difficult for all of us involved,” said General Irwin whose father also commanded The Black Watch.

General Irwin said he was determined to create within the new structure the environment that will attract “Scotland’s best young men” to join them and serve their country.