New STV series: Scots At War

I spotted a trailer for this upcoming series last night. It looks very intersting, and I'll certainly be tuning in.

Here's the blurb from the STV website:

On the front line with Scots at War

Offering a fascinating day-to-day window into the life of today’s modern troops in Afghanistan, STV’s new documentary Scots at War combines the present with the past as it looks at how Scotland forged itself in the fire of previous conflicts.

Scotland has a proud military history which is still closely interlinked to the experiences of today’s modern soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.

In STV’s new series, Scots at War, presenter Ken Hames travels to Afghanistan with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, following their journey as they prepare to take their place on the front line to fight against the Taliban.

The former SAS Major, who comes from five generations of British soldiers, will follow the experiences of the modern soldiers in Afghanistan, listening to eyewitness testimonies from soldiers and commanders of present and past and looking at how the great reputation of the fighting Scot has been forged in the fire of many conflicts over the centuries.

Starting on Tuesday, January 26 at 9pm, the first of the three hour-long programmes will begin by looking back nearly 400 years and drawing parallels between today’s current operations and historic battle’s.

Over his journey, Ken will look at how Scottish regiments tackle insurgents today and reflect on regiments of the 18th Century who had similar problems within their own borders and had to fight against fellow Scots at the Battle of Culloden.

Ken will also join the troops to discuss the hazards of transporting troops through remote hostile environments in Afghanistan and use this as a stepping stone to look back on the Birkenhead Disaster of 1852 when the troop ship HMS Birkenhead hit rocks off the coast of South Africa.

World War One and World War Two were particular dark periods in the Scottish Regiments history and played such a huge part in the shaping of our nation and Army. As part of the series, Ken will visit some of the great battlefields where Scottish soldiers fought and died and find out how these army landmarks shaped the Scottish Regiments of today.

Don’t miss this exciting new series, filled with unique archive footage and eyewitness testimonies. Tune in to STV on Tuesday, January 26 at 9pm or catch up on the STV Player.