Formation tartan (and military tartan Government 5A). The regiment was raised at
Elgin by Major-General
John Mackenzie, Lord MacLeod as the '''73rd (Highland) Regiment of Foot (McLeod's Highlanders)''' from Highland clans in December 1777. A second battalion was formed in September 1778. The 1st battalion embarked for
India in January 1779 and, having landed some troops at
Gorée in
Senegal on the way, reached
Madras in January 1780. The flank companies were captured at
Conjeveram in September 1780 during the
Second Anglo-Mysore War. The battalion went on to take part in the
Battle of Porto Novo in July 1781, the
Battle of Pollilur in August 1781 and the
Battle of Sholinghur in September 1781. After that the battalion took part in the
siege of Cuddalore in June 1783. Meanwhile, the 2nd battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
George Mackenzie, embarked for the
Mediterranean Sea and served as
marines at the
Battle of Cape St. Vincent in January 1780 before being landed at
Gibraltar later that month and then taking part in the
Great Siege of Gibraltar; the battalion was disbanded in 1783.
Napoleonic Wars in 1863 at
Glasgow Cathedral Remaining in India, the regiment fought at the
siege of Pondicherry in August 1793 during the
French Revolutionary Wars before transferring to
Ceylon in August 1795 A second battalion was again raised in October 1804 but remained in Scotland throughout the War. The battalion then sailed for
South America and took part in the disastrous
expedition against
Buenos Aires under
Sir Home Popham. The battalion was taken prisoner and the
Regimental Colours were captured. New colours were presented to the regiment by Lieutenant-General
Sir John Floyd in April 1808. The 1st battalion was reformed and embarked for
Portugal in June 1808 for service in the
Peninsular War. Renamed the
71st (Glasgow Highland) Regiment of Foot later that month, the
Battle of Vimeiro later that month and
Battle of Corunna in January 1809 before being evacuated from the Peninsula. In March 1809 it became a light infantry regiment, and the regiment next took part in the disastrous
Walcheren Campaign in autumn 1809 before returning home and being renamed the
71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) in spring 1810. and saw action at the
Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811, the
Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos in October 1811 and the
Battle of Almaraz in May 1812 as well as the
Battle of Vitoria in June 1813. It then pursued the French Army into France and fought at the
Battle of the Pyrenees in July 1813, the
Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and the
Battle of the Nive in December 1813 and the
Battle of Toulouse in April 1814.
The Victorian era The regiment embarked for
Canada in May 1824 and then moved on to
Bermuda in October 1831 before returning to England in September 1834. It returned to Canada in April 1838 before returning home in January 1847. The regiment went on to India to help suppress the
Indian Rebellion in 1857 and remained there for the
Ambela Campaign in 1863. On 1 July 1881 the
Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the
74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot to form the 1st and 2nd Battalions,
Highland Light Infantry. ==Battle honours==