The waist-belt worn by officers of the Cameron Highlanders in dress uniform was of a special pattern, heavily embroidered on blue velvet. The belt clasp was gilt with a silver badge of St Andrew holding the instrument of his torture which became the Saltire of Scotland. An ornate wreath of thistles surrounds him. An early version of the belt can almost be seen in the 1854 portrait of Ensign Scovell , and the belt clasp clearly shows an oval clasp with a different silver device.
The clasp photographed here was first adopted around 1860, after the change to the single-breasted doublet in dress uniform. It was worn to support the dirk by kilted officers, up until the end of full dress. King George VI who acceded to the throne in 1936 was one of the last officers to wear the kilted dress uniform of the regiment when he was appointed Colonel-in-Chief.
