Scottish troops set for relocation with high-readiness posting in Cyprus
A Scottish Army battalion is gearing up to relocate to Cyprus for two years, where it will take on a new role as a high-readiness standby formation.
The soldiers of 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (4 SCOTS) have been based at Bourlon Barracks at the Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire for the last 10 years.
During that time they have been able to 'put down roots' – building families and friendships, and continuing 'proud' Scottish traditions including the Highland games.
The new posting will see them relocate to the British Sovereign Base Area in Dhekelia, Cyprus, with the first flights scheduled for Saturday.
Once there the battalion will stand ready to respond at short notice to emerging situations across the Middle East and North Africa.
At the same time they will be tasked with supporting peacekeeping efforts and protecting key military infrastructure on the island.
Captain Craig Taylor, who has been with the battalion throughout its time at Bourlon Barracks, said the move will be a 'big change' for the troops.
'We've had 10 solid years of stability here in Catterick. It's been a place where soldiers could put down roots, raise families, and grow professionally,' he said.
'Moving to Cyprus will be a big change for us, not just in terms of the climate.
'This is an exciting opportunity that soldiers have been training hard for. It's not a short-term tour or exercise – it's a full overseas posting which gives us the chance to experience new cultures and ways of life.
'Professionally, it sharpens our edge. We'll be held at high readiness to deploy anywhere in the region, and beyond which is of real strategic importance to the UK.'
It is not the first overseas posting for the battalion, which has been involved in operations in the likes of Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo since its formation in 2006.
Closer to home, 4 SCOTS also provided security support for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, provided emergency aid during the 2018 Saddleworth Moor wildfires, and took part in the national Covid-19 response.
Despite being more than 2,000 miles from Scotland, the battalion intends to take its traditions with it, with events including regimental competitions and Burns Night celebrations remaining 'firm fixtures' in the calendar.
Capt Taylor added: 'We're proud of everything we've achieved here.
'But now it's time to pack up, push forward, and embed our Scottish identity into a new location.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
38 minutes ago
- The National
Scottish ice cream parlour named one of the UK's best
Located on a historic street in Edinburgh, the popular spot was named alongside establishments across the country like Swoon in Cardiff and Gelato Gusto in Brighton. Highlighting the impact of the beloved culinary tradition, Good Food said the UK is home to a whole host of artisan ice cream parlours and historic gelaterias which offer "unique flavours and experiences." See the Edinburgh ice cream parlour known for its 'Italian craftsmanship' named among the best in the UK Alandas Gelato on the "historic" Forrest Road in Edinburgh was the only ice cream parlour in Scotland named among the best in the UK by Good Food. Discussing the Scottish spot, the magazine said "the shiny gelato parlour combines Scottish ingredients with Italian craftsmanship, churning Scottish cream and milk from East Lothian into gelato in its on-site micro-factory." Alandas's gelato is apparently served in waffle cones, cups or shakes, and comes in a range of flavours like lavender and white chocolate ganache and cranachan, Scottish whisky and caramel. There is also hot Belgian chocolate on tap, supplying the "creamiest hot chocolates around." The parlour is also popular with patrons on Tripadvisor, with users giving it a 3.5/5 out of 75 reviews. Recommended Reading: One person said: "Best ice cream in Edinburgh, staff were very friendly and great service. I have been there a lot of times and love that they always have new flavours. Would recommend the chocolate cones as well!" Another added: "They had such great flavours and while a bit pricey, the gelato was worth it!" A third person penned: "The line was out the door, but moved quickly. I got the chocolate and it was very good! Loved the little wafer on top!"
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
SNP accused of deceitful strategy after 'grotesque' plans to cut 12,000 jobs
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland's most senior trade unionist has accused SNP ministers of deceitful behaviour amid claims thousands of job cuts will take place alongside public service improvements - in a strategy branded 'grotesque'. Trade unionists have been put 'on alert' and have hit out at Finance Secretary Shona Robison effectively ending the Scottish Government's policy of no compulsory redundancies. This came after she admitted that if not enough jobs were cut over the next five years through other means, workers would be forced into losing their employment. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Finance Secretary Shona Robison (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images Ms Robison made the admission as she set out almost £5 billion of savings and cuts needed by 2030. These include £2.6bn for the Government's day-to-day revenue budget, with the gaping hole emerging due to spending plans significantly outweighing the funding Holyrood is poised to bring in, largely from Westminster. The strategy includes controversial plans to whittle down the devolved public sector workforce, which stands around 550,000 employees, by 0.5 per cent every year for the next five years - losing around 12,000 roles. The Finance Secretary has stressed 'no compulsory redundancies will be maintained as the default position'. But she added 'as a last resort ... compulsory redundancy will be considered'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland's devolved workforce includes NHS and college workers. STUC general secretary Roz Foyer told The Scotsman that rolling back the policy on no compulsory redundancies was 'a kick in the teeth for public sector workers' and pointed the blame at choices made by John Swinney's Government. STUC general secretary Roz Foyer with First Minister John Swinney | Jane Barlow/PA Wire She said: 'To reverse this policy after 14 years, while UK government funding is increasing, will only undermine faith in genuine public sector reform. 'It's due to the Scottish Government's own inaction – their own failings - on progressive taxation and redistributing wealth to pay for our public services that we are now in the grotesque situation of up to 12,000 workers paying with their jobs.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Foyer rejected a claim in the long-delayed medium-term financial strategy 'the wage bill needs to be more sustainable going forward', alongside a warning it would be 'essential to constrain this growth in spending to affordable levels'. She said: 'The idea that Scotland's public sector is full of largesse is simply not borne out by the facts. In the last 15 years, Scotland's public sector has fallen from 24 per cent of the workforce to less than 22 per cent.' The STUC chief has warned Mr Swinney's Government that 'to govern is to choose'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: 'We know the public finances are tight. But to simply cut jobs and make our public services weaker, despite their insistence to the contrary, is a duplicity that should make ministers blush. 'Whilst we embrace technological advancements that make the world of work more streamlined, we don't accept this should mean a reduction in headcount. 'Whether it be reducing NHS waiting times, providing dignified social care, tackling violence in our schools, or restoring faith in local government, our public services need more people, not less. That requires a commitment to increasing tax revenue, something this financial strategy was sorely lacking. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Trade unionists have been put 'on alert' over the Scottish Government's threat at removing its no compulsory redundancies policy 'The Scottish Government should be on notice that unions are on alert and are clear that any reforms must be centred on improving and protecting the quality of our public services and the conditions of our vital public sector workers.' The Scottish Government's public sector pay policy states 'Scotland's public sector is larger and better paid when compared to the rest of the UK and has had a commitment to no compulsory redundancies since 2007'. The document adds: 'The larger size of the workforce is both in terms of the share of the economy and the share of total employment. The public sector accounts for 22.2 per cent of employment in Scotland, compared to 17.8 per cent across the UK. ' The Scottish Government's bill for public sector pay, including local government, is estimated to reach almost £29bn in 2025-26 and is expected to soar to £32bn by 2030 without intervention to cut the size of the workforce. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A spokesperson for the First Minister told The Scotsman that 'over the course of 15 years', Holyrood had experienced 'some very difficult settlements from the UK government'. The spokesperson added: 'We're disappointed with the most recent settlement as set out by [Chancellor] Rachel Reeves. If our funding had kept up to pace with the average of the UK government departments, I think we'd be about £1bn better off within three years.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Maybe we can start talking about the issue we've been ignoring
A commentary on the new survey written by Sir John Curtice (love him, who doesn't) delves into some of the stuff that might be going on with the figures. The public are well aware of Britain's problems, he says; indeed, lots of them are feeling it directly. But Sir John also says that rather than turning their backs on the state, for the most part the public are still inclined to look to government to provide solutions. They also feel that most people on low and middle incomes are paying enough tax already but suspect some of the better-off could pay more. If the people who run the survey had asked me for my opinion, I would have said pretty much the same thing. However, it's the consequences of all this for the political parties that really interests me because the public's view of how it's working now is remarkable. For example, just 19% think the current system of governing Britain needs little or no improvement. As for trust in government, only 12% trust it to put the country's interests before party interests 'just about always' or 'most of the time'. This is even lower than the previous record low of 14% in 2023. It's bad. The specifics of the findings are particularly troubling for Labour. The report says only 30% of people in what sociologists call semi-routine and routine occupations voted Labour, compared with 42% in professional and managerial jobs. To put it another way, Labour won the election but failed to reconnect with its traditional base of working-class voters, which is a big change. The working-class Tory and the posho socialist have always been a thing, but broadly speaking, support for political parties in this country has always been pretty much in line with social class. Now the traditional class-based support for parties is breaking down. Read more Tunnock's is being blamed for society's problems. Step away from the teacakes Are you 'upset'? The dangers of flags in Scottish schools These are the latest plans at the Glasgow School of Art. Really? The Social Attitudes Survey suggests that one of the new alternative influences on voting could be age: only 6% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted Tory compared to 36% of those aged 65 and over. But the age factor isn't new really: young people have always been drawn more to the left before tending to become conservative as they grow older. Again, there have always been exceptions – the teenage Tory like William Hague in the 70s or the ageing socialist with a mortgage and an ISA – but on the whole, oldies are less likely to be lefties. Education as a factor is also hard to pin down. The Attitudes Survey says just 5% of graduates voted for Reform compared with 25% of those with less than an A level or equivalent, but this isn't a completely different issue from class if we consider how levels of education are broadly linked to background. And we know Reform is polling better than Labour among working-class voters. A recent YouGov poll found that among the social and economic groups C2DE – I hate all this pseudo-scientific terminology but it's hard to avoid – Reform has around 30% support compared to 20% for Labour. In other words, it's class that's the factor here. Even the Attitudes Survey's results on the culture war and 'equalities' issues follows the same sort of pattern. The survey says people with liberal attitudes on culture war and equalities issues mostly voted Labour (53%), Lib Dem (17%) or Green (14%) while those with more conservative views were more likely to support the Tories (32%) or Reform (28%). You could take issue with the terms liberal and conservative here, but the survey's conclusion is that the way people vote reflects their views on culture war issues – trans, gender, race, DEI, all that – just as much as where they stand in the traditional debate between left and right. Nigel Farage of Reform (Image: Ben Birchall) But again, it's all about class. Is it any surprise that identity politics focused on gender and race has failed to catch on in working class communities when they're the ones dealing with the effects of economic inequality based on class? Thanks to multiple reports from the Social Mobility Commission, and the fact that we can see it for ourselves every day, we know that although only 7% of the population is privately educated, they're dominant in politics, business and the media. And yet when it comes to diversity quotas or lessons on DEI, social class doesn't get a mention. There are at least some people talking about it though. The Education Select Committee did a good report on the subject in 2021 in which they said ideas such as 'white privilege' were the opposite to what disadvantaged white children experience and were alienating to working class communities. They hear all the talk about their privilege and they don't hear much talk about how disadvantage affects their lives and, as we can see in the Attitudes Survey, it's started to have an effect on how they vote. Bottom line: class. Where we need to go from here would seem obvious then. As the survey points out, trust in government and party politics is low. The connection between Labour and its traditional working-class base has also been severed and it won't be restored while politicians and commentators, with that Nelsonian blindness, are talking about other things instead. Reform are scooping up votes because they're benefitting from voters who feel ignored. So stop ignoring them. Start talking seriously about economic inequality. Start suggesting solutions (it might be taxing the better-off more, who knows). But above all, start talking about what's really going on here: class, class, class.
