The 2nd Battalion sailed for Egypt in 1888 and served on the Suakim Field Force, fighting in the Sudan in several battles against the Dervishes, most notably, Gemaizah. In 1887 the regiment had been granted ‘Scottish’ in their title, and adopted Scottish uniform. This private wears an undress version of the scarlet doublet. Instead of Inverness skirts, the lower part of this doublet had a cut-away skirt front, and pocket flaps with buttons and loops. The gauntlet-style cuffs were scarlet instead of blue and had buttons and loops. The blue collar had a lower edge traced with white, and collar badges of Edinburgh Castle in brass. The white edged shoulder straps had KOSB in white embroidery. It was buttoned with seven universal pattern brass buttons.
He wears trews of government tartan tucked into black gaiters. His stained white helmet was the foreign service type worn in Egypt and India. On the right side can be seen a small red patch embroidered with KOSB in white. He holds a Martini Henry rifle which had been introduced in 1879 and was in the process of being replaced by the Lee-Metford. The slim socket bayonet was 17 inches long. He has the 1871 valise equipment with adjustments instigated in 1882. A canvas haversack is slung from the right shoulder and a water-bottle slung from the left.
The illustration is by Hiram Dunn, reproduced by kind permission from Borderers in Uniform from 1689 (Published 2018).
