Safari so good for the Black Watch

Aug 29 2008 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

BLACK Watch soldiers have been taking a walk on the wild side in preparation for a two-month exercise in Kenya.

The Fort George-based 3rd Battalion,The Royal Regiment of Scotland, heads off to the African training ground next week as they build up their battle skills for deployment to Afghanistan’s Helmand Province next year.

But some soldiers decided to get into safari mood by tackling Scottish wildlife first of all, courtesy of Highland Safaris in Aberfeldy – birthplace of the world-famous regiment 270 years ago.

The award-winning highland safari company offers red deer, golden eagle, mountain hare, black grouse and wildcat on its close encounters adventures.

And Black Watch soldiers preparing to come face to face with Kenya’s wildlife were keen to tackle some friendlier creatures first.

Privates Daniel Shields (20) and Ben Cumming (21) from Perth are looking forward to training in Kenya – but aren’t so keen on running into the local wildlife.

“Scottish wildlife seems a lot friendlier,” they laughed, “and it’s great to spend time in the hills above Aberfeldy learning how to observe animals without spooking them and how to track and identify different species – all skills we can transfer to Kenya.”

Around 450 Black Watch soldiers will form part of an 800-strong battle group for two months of rigorous training in the contrasting jungle, mountainous and arid scrubland environments of Kenya.

Their acclimatisation package will include working with a native African tracker to learn the habits and dangers of local wildlife.

Donald Riddell, director of Highland Safaris at Aberfeldy, said he was delighted to pass on a few tips.

“It’s all about knowing and respecting the different animals and their behaviour and also training your eye to spot wildlife,” he said.

“These skills work as well in Africa as they do in Aberfeldy and the quick eye will certainly prove useful in Afghanistan.

“It’s been fun to give some of the local lads a flavour of Scottish wildlife before they face the big guys in Kenya.”

The Black Watch Association will be the beneficiary of this year’s Aberfeldy Highland Ball at Blair Castlein December, further strengthening the ties between the regiment and its birthplace.

Lieutenant Colonel Roddy Riddell, Secretary, The Black Watch, said they were delighted to maintain close links with the Highland Perthshire town.

“The support from Highland Safaris and the Aberfeldy Highland Ball is wonderful because it is very important that everyone involved with The Black Watch knows that the community is behind them.

“The battalion was last on operation together in Iraq in 2004 but they continue to provide individual reinforcements there,” said Lt. Col. Riddell.

“Now they are preparing to go on operation as a full battalion again with a challenging training programme in Kenya and a deployment to Afghanistan in the spring.

“The ties of home in Perthshire, Dundee, Angus and Fife are always strong no matter where the Jocks are serving,” he added, “but none stronger than in our historic heartland of Aberfeldy where the regiment was raised in 1739.”