372 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Heriot?s Green.
a round hat, with a cockade and black feather on
the left side, buttons having on them the arms .of
the city and inscribed, Edirzburgh Yolunttes (Scuts
Zug., 1794 &c.), their oval belt plates also bearing
thecityarms. Twoof the companieswere grenadiers,
and all men of unusual stature. They wore bearskin
caps, with the grenade thereon, and on their skirts.
The belts, black at first, were afterwards painted
white: but, as the paint scaled off, plain buff was
A second regiment of Edinburgh volunteers was
formed in the same manner in 1797, when a landing
of the French was expected in Ireland, and the
first battalion volunteered to garrison the Castle, to
permit the withdrawal of the regular troops. This
offer was renewed in 1801, when the Lieutenant-
Colonel, the Right Hon. Charles Hope, afterwards
Lord President, wrote thus to General Vyse, commanding
the forces:-
HERIOT?S HOSPITAL : THE COUNCIL ROOM.
substituted, and the first showy uniform underwent
changes.
The colours presented to them were very handsome;
the King?s bore a crown and the letters
G.R. ; the regimental bore the arms of Edinburgh.
The magistrates, the senators, Academicians and
the whole Town Council, were on the ground in
their robes of office. From the green the battalion
marched by the bridges to Princes Street, where the
colours were presented to them by Mrs. Elder,
after which they went to the house of the Lord
Provost, Sir James Stirling, Bart., in Queen?s Street.
The ?latter, in virtue of his office, was honorary
colonel of the regiment; but all the other commissions
were conferred by the king, on the recommendation
of the volunteers themselves
?In the event of an enemy appearing on our
coast, we trust that you will be able to provide for
the temporary safety of Edinburgh Castle by means
of its own invalids, and the recruits and convalescents
of the numerous corps and detachments in
and about Edinburgh ; and that, as we have more
to lose than the brave fellows of the other volunteer
regiments who have extended their services, you
will allow us to be the first to share the danger,
as well as the glory, which we are confident his
Majesty?s troops will acquire under your command,
if opposed to an invading army,?
But in the following year Heriot?s Green saw
the last of these two regiments.
After eight years of military parade, and many
a sham fight on Leith Links and at Musselburgh
