The Gordon Highlanders

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Theory #1:
'Bydand' is a corruption of a Gaelic term, usually rendered as 'steadfast' but also periodically as 'faithful,' 'enduring,' 'abiding,' etc.  We encountered one elderly gentleman from the Hebrides who claimed that it was the 'present tense, continuous' of a verb which does not have a good English translation, but is similar to the United States Marine Corps' Sempre Fidelis in that it implies being (and remaining) completely prepared and waiting to be called upon.

Theory #2:
'Bydand' is a contraction of the Scots English phrase 'Bide and Fecht,' meaning to stand and fight.  Over the years, it was come to be understood that if one was going to bide, one was going to fecht leaving 'Bide and' or, eventually, 'Bydand.'

The area immediately around Aberdeen is not typically thought of as a Gaelic-speaking region, which would argue against theory #1, but further to the west, Gaelic was certainly a strong cultural force.  It must also be recalled that a very substantial number of the early soldiers in the regiment came from the Highland counties (particularly Inverness-shire, including the Isles), and the 92nd had a standing order through to at least the early 1800s that officers were to ensure that the men who did not understand English had orders properly interpreted to them.  Theory #2 seems plausible in its use of Scots English, though it would be odd to leave off fecht and keep 'and;' a more typical contraction would have been simply 'Bide.'  Yours Truly, with an undergraduate background in linguistics and post-graduate focus on the Highland regiments, is inclined to argue for Theory #1.

In the final analysis, the exact origins of the motto cannot be declared for certain.  What can be said with no hesitation or doubt is that for 200 years, The Gordon Highlanders served the Crown with an unwaivering steadfastness and a capacity to fecht that was second to none.

This page was last updated on Friday, 19 February 2010