The Scots Guards were formed in 1642 by the Marquis of Argyll to act as a Royal bodyguard to King Charles I.

Although very much part of the fabric of the Regiment there is no mention of Pipers in the Scots Guards before 1704. Queen Anne authorised the formation of a Highland Company of Scots Guards, which was to include one Piper.

Pipers continued to serve with the Regiment but purely in a private capacity funded by the Officer Commanding each Company. In 1836 the War Office officially recognized pipers in the Regiment when each Battalion was established for one Pipe Major and five pipers. Today, in addition to their musical role, pipers are allotted various duties such as medical orderlies, armoured fighting vehicle drivers and intelligence collators. On operations or training the tradition continues with each Company having at least one piper attached to it.
The Pipes and Drums are based in Catterick, Yorkshire.  From here they are deployed and serve operationally with the Battalion as combat infantrymen, medics and intelligence collators in theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the Scots Guardsmen you see on parade tonight have just returned from a 6-month operational tour last year.

Scots Guards Pipers wear full highland dress in Royal Stewart tartan and blue doublets. In 1926 King George V granted pipers the privilege of wearing feather bonnets with a red and blue hackle. The pipe bags are covered in Government tartan with the exception of the Pipe Major who has a blue velvet bag cover with a silver-braided edge.

The drummers wear bearskin caps and red tunics embroidered with the Fleur de Lys as a battle honour from the 18th century. The drums are emblazoned with all the principal Battle Honours of the Regiment.

The Pipes & Drums travel extensively around the world and have recently taken part in the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Ghana and the inaugural Moscow Military Tattoo on Red Square, as well as various other Tattoos around Europe and around the world.

The Pipes & Drums have more recently taken part in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2008.  In March 2009, pipers of the regiment joined forces with the Irish Guards and played at a State Banquet in Buckingham Palace, public duties on the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo, the Queen’s Birthday Parade and Beating the Retreat on Horse Guards Parade. In September, they carried out a 4-week tour of the USA [traveling to] California, Colorado, New Hampshire, New York and Washington, DC.  Later this year they are looking forward to performing on the BBC at New Year, [as they do] annually, on the Jools Holland New Year Hootenanny.

Pipe Major Brian Heriot was appointed Pipe Major 1st Battalion Scots Guards in September 2007. He was born in Girvan, Scotland and begun to play the Pipes at the age of 9. He joined the Scots Guards in 1986 as a junior leader and was posted to the 1st Battalion, in Germany, in 1988. Pipe Major Heriot passed his Pipe Majors course in 1999 and has been Medical Sgt as well as Pipe Sergeant of the Battalion before [becoming] Pipe Major.

The Pipes & Drums are currently carrying out training for operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where they will be temporarily deployed between March & October 2010.