SAVE THE Scottish Regiments yesterday dismissed a fresh army call to get behind Scotland’s new infantry regiment.

The pressure group said it would continue to campaign for the restoration of The Black Watch and Scotland’s five other infantry regiments, despite a defence of the merger by Major General Euan Loudon, Colonel Commandant of the Scottish Division.

The officer met members of The Black Watch Association in Dundee to explain the rationale behind the amalgamation of the six regiments into one unit and said that he was confident historic traditions could be maintained as the new regiment built its own identity.

Jeff Duncan, who founded Save the Scottish Regiments in the summer of 2004, described the meeting as a public relations exercise. “The Black Watch are losing everything,” he said. “Not even the world-famous Red Hackle is being allowed to be worn as part of regular uniform.

“Who can forget the long line of politicians and military top brass falling over themselves to promise that regiments would retain their local links and identities?”

Mr Duncan claimed that the regimental cuts were driven by a need to save money.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland has received royal assent and it is due to be launched by the end of March.