Sixty-five years ago this autumn the kilted regiments of Britain earned themselves a new name - the Ladies from Hell. It happened at Loos in France, where every single Highland regiment joined together for the first time in battle with the Germans.
Forty years ago the kilt was worn into battle officially for the last time. It had been proscribed as unsuitable for modern warfare. Yet it still kept turning up. There were reports of kilts being smuggled into the western desert. When Japan surrendered at Singapore, a kilted soldier was there to pipe up the Union Jack.
Throughout the ages, tradition and dress have been of outstanding importance to Highland regiments. But how relevant are they in 1980 when dealing with a road block in Ulster? Tonight's film looks at some of the advantages, some of the disadvantages and some of the unabashed glamour of being a kilted soldier.
Narrator RICHARD BAKER
Film editor BARBARA PLUCK Producer AUDREY HOLMES Director
CATHERINE MCFARLANE BBC Scotland