The Regiment Today
Today, the Atholl Highlanders is a purely ceremonial regiment, of approximately 100 men, including pipes and drums. This regiment has no connection, except the name, with the 77th Foot of 1777. The regiment wears the tartan of the Clan Murray of Atholl and has as its cap badge the clan crest approved by the Duke, which it wears along with a sprig of juniper, which is the clan's plant, and is presented by the Duke on his annual inspection. The regiment is responsible for the defence of Blair Castle, the surrounding estate and its inhabitants, but in practice usually only parades twice a year at the regiment's annual inspection when the present Duke comes from his home in South Africa to inspect his men, and the Atholl Gathering Highland Games, which is hosted by the Duke, on the last weekend in May. However, there are certain other occasions when the Duke permits the regiment to parade, such as royal visits to Blair Castle (when the regiment would serve as the guard), or on tours overseas. A notable instance occurred during the Year of Homecoming in 2009, when all of Scotland's clans took part in a parade in Edinburgh. This was the first time that the regiment had paraded in the Scottish capital in nearly 30 years. The regiment is usually stood down between January and May of each year, depending on whether new recruits are invited to join. Normally, the regiment's training starts at the beginning of May, in preparation for the Atholl Gathering at the end of the month; however, if new recruits join, they must gain a standard of foot and arms drill before being permitted to parade with the rest of the regiment, which they practise between January and March.
The regiment's officers are usually lairds from the areas around Blair Atholl, while other ranks are men with connections either to the local area or to the Duke's estate. Membership of the regiment is by the personal invitation of the Duke. Both the present Duke and his heir apparent, the Marquess of Tullibardine, were commissioned by the 11th Duke into the regiment.
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