ATHOL – Regimental Sgt. Major Graham Jack said Tuesday that he and 61 of his comrades in The Atholl Highlanders are looking forward to their appearance in Athol for River Rat weekend.

The regiment serves the Duke of Atholl, whose ancestral home, Blair Castle, is located in Blair Atholl in the Scottish Highlands. The Highlanders is the only legal private army in Europe.

The two communities have been sister cities since the early 1960s. The Highlanders arrived in Athol on April 9 and will be in town for the River Rat Race this weekend.

While in Athol, in addition to marching in the annual River Rat Promenade prior to the start of the race, the regiment will take part tonight in a traditional Scottish ceilidh (kay-lee) at Town Hall, featuring plenty of music and dancing.

Jack spoke with the Athol Daily News following their appearance in the Big Apple.

“What a pleasure it was to come to New York and take part in the 2025 Tartan Day Parade. We did a formation that we haven’t done since 1980, and the formation was done to the pleasure of all the people we were marching past,” he said. “It included our colors, a full pipe band, and drummers. So together, we made a good representation of the Duke of Atholl’s private regiment in New York.”

Asked if the regiment will be employing the same formation at Saturday morning’s parade, Jack said, “It will be very similar. It won’t be quite the same formation because of the size of 6th Avenue, but everything else will be there. We’ll still be having a show of color and spectacle.”

Jack said this will not be his first visit to Athol.

“I was here in 1987, and then 2000 and 2012, and this will be my fourth visit to Athol,” he said, adding that he has been with the regiment for 48 years.

Providing a bit of history, Jack said the Highlanders fought at the 1746 battle of Culloden.

“After Culloden, they were re-formed in 1777,” he said. “Twelve-hundred men were assembled, ready to be shipped out to America when the (American Revolution) ended. They had been assembled in Ireland and were there for just about five years.”

The regiment was then disbanded in 1783. The regiment was reassembled and in 1845, “after Queen Victoria had visited Blair Castle, she presented the regiment with colors, and those are the flags you’ll see on Saturday.”

Jack went on to explain that about half the company “have never been to Athol before. A lot of them are new, but many were there in 2000 and 2012. I’m very pleased I’ll be staying at the same house where I stayed previously. Bill Kessler and Wayne Richardson of the Atholl to Athol Committee” have arranged for members of the regiment to stay in local homes “and for that we are very, very grateful.”

“We’re all very much looking forward to our visit to Athol,” said Jack. “Those of us who have been there have told the newer members about the great people there and the very lovely time we’ve had.”

Jack told the “The Scotsman” newspaper, “On behalf of the Atholl Highlanders, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank the extremely hospitable host families in Athol who look after us so well. Many of us have become firm friends, with visits taking place out with official tours, something we are sure will continue into the future. This year’s itinerary in Athol will be particularly fun with some of our members taking part in the Athol Rat Race, a break from the formality of other tasks. We always welcome the chance to get right into the heart of the community through the school and business visits too.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.