THE BLACK Watch recruitment drive has advanced into Angus.

Soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland are paying visits to towns throughout Tayside this week and were in Montrose yesterday.

The Black Watch, who received the Freedom of Fife in a special ceremony in Kirkcaldy earlier this month, are hoping to recruit more local young men into the famous battalion.

Captain Brian Cooper, officer commanding The Black Watch battalion recruiting team, said, “This is an important recruitment drive for us. Although we’ve been out in Dundee and Kirkcaldy a couple of months ago, it will be the first time that we have been visible on the streets of some of the smaller surrounding home towns since joining with Scotland’s other infantry regiments to form The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

“It will also be the last time that members of the battalion will be out on the streets of Scotland before deploying back to Iraq in November. Black Watch soldiers are some of the most passionate and loyal soldiers in the army. Following the recent announcement that we’d be returning to Iraq for example, there were too many volunteers from the battalion than are needed for the deployment.

“As well as highlighting to young people the opportunities that exist in today’s army, we also want to reassure our local communities that The Black Watch have not gone away and are alive and well under the new regiment. We still retain our antecedent name, our traditions and, of course, our distinctive red hackle.

“We are currently recruiting young men aged between 16 and 26 years.”

Former Black Watch soldier and member of the Black Watch Association, Syd Mather, who campaigned for the independence of the regiment, said he was very impressed when he visited the recruitment officers in Montrose town centre.

“I think that recruitment may drop off,” he said.

“Many young people think The Black Watch no longer exists following their amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

“I fear that the pride of the regiment has taken a knock and the golden thread which saw generations of the same family joining-up may have been broken.”

The Black Watch will be in Forfar and Crieff today, Arbroath and Kinross tomorrow and in Dundee on Thursday, Friday Saturday and next Wednesday.