Lovat Scouts Battledress Bonnet
The Highlanders’ Museum

This item of headwear is known as a battledress bonnet and dates from World War Two. The black and white checkerboard pattern is an iconic symbol of the Lovat Scouts regiment.   

The Lovat Scouts were originally raised to fight in the Second Boer War in South Africa, 1899 – 1901. The regiment was special because it was formed of Highland men with outdoor skills like shepherding and stalking – they had the skills to rival the South African Boer farmers, where regular British army regiments did not.  

Throughout World War Two, the Lovat Scouts trained in mountain warfare and served in the difficult climates of Norway and southern Italy.