The sergeant and private appear to be in identical uniforms apart from the arm badges. However, the plaids on their left shoulder are attached in different ways. The sergeant has a fringed-ended plaid that hangs long at the back and short at the front, pinned to the shoulder with a plaid brooch. The private has his fly plaid attached to the back of his shoulder with a green rosette and the falling end tucked up to his waist beneath the doublet.
The private has an embroidered fleur-de-lys on a cross on his upper right arm which denoted his role as a trained scout. The symbol evolved from the points of a compass, the fleur-de-lys pointing north. Scouts were appointed in the South African War of 1899-1902 and were the basis for Baden-Powell’s boy scout movement. These trained men were used in WW1 but the appointment of scouts did not last beyond 1918. The Highlander scout has two white chevrons on his left forearm for good conduct and six years service. Both men have gold embroidered shooting proficiency badges, and medals for the South African War, the scout having also a medal for the war in Sudan in 1897.
