During three days in August 1914, nearly seventeen thousand Scottish territorial soldiers arrived in Bedford. This friendly invasion is a relatively little-known part of Bedford's recent history. The "invaders" were the men of the Highland Division (later to become the 51st Highland Division) whose infantry units carried famous and evocative names such as Gordon, Seaforth, Argyll and Sutherland and Queens Own Cameron Highlanders.
The Scottish troops became a familiar and welcome sight in the town and surrounding countryside as they trained and prepared for war. The impact of this mass billeting on the town and surrounding area, and the strong links that were forged between the townsfolk and the Highlanders will be discussed by Richard Galley, an expert on the Scottish Highland Division’s time in Bedford.