This photo was probably taken at the regimental depot in Britain during the Crimean war while the service companies were involved in the fighting in the Crimea. There is mention of the depot at Stirling Castle in 1851 in the Historical Record, but the regiment moved to Edinburgh then Lancashire and Portsmouth before embarking for Scutari. The men in this photo are in a variety of pre-1855 uniforms
The Depot Sergeant Major stands in the centre wearing the pre-1855 coatee whose uniform was unique to his rank. It is nearer to the style of the officers than the rank and file. Although his four rank stripes are gold lace with an embroidered crown, the rest of his jacket has silver lace, covering the collar and on the slash flap of his cuffs. The shoulder wings, also laced with silver, are markedly different to the ones worn by the Colour Sergeant on the left of the photo. The DSM has a white shoulder-belt which holds his broadsword, and a crimson sash on his left shoulder. He appears to be wearing trews, but the feather bonnet indicates that he is in dress uniform which would normally require a kilt.
The Colour Sergeant has a sergeant’s pattern coatee, without the lateral white lace across the chest as worn by the young bugler. But his collar is laced with white and his cuffs have slash flaps also laced with white but not visible here. His rank insignia shows a single gold chevron with an embroidered flag and crossed swords with a crown above. On the other arm he would have three gold stripes. The tails of his coatee can just be seen, with white turn-backs and white lace button-hole loops. His shoulder wings are white worsted tufted crescents.
The Orderly Room Clerk has a quasi-civilian double-breasted coat. Unfortunately he does not wear a hat as it would be interesting to know what that would look like. He holds what looks like a quill pen to signify his role. The young boy is named as Orderly Bugler although his title would be expected to be drummer. Drummers were trained from an early age while they had supple wrists, and they would also be buglers. The coatee that he wears has white lace across his chest, the standard uniform for the rank and file apart from the striped shoulder wings. However, a Drummer painted from life in 1852 shows a drummer/bugler with patterned lace and coloured tufts in his shoulder wings. It is possible that the poor quality of this reproduction has bleached out the colours.
Behind the Bugler is a sergeant in drill order with a white shell jacket that has three red stripes on each sleeve. This is worn with a black stock under his collar. He has a crimson sash on his shoulder, a glengarry cap and trews. The Quartermaster Sergeant has a scarlet shell jacket with green collar and cuffs. This has gold shoulder cords and four gold lace stripes with an indistinct badge above. His glengarry cap shows a regimental badge with 79 below and another badge above which is probably a light company stringed bugle. His trousers do not show a tartan pattern.
