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A. C. McKerracher Clachan Bridge and the less well known House of the Trousers. In the August 1983 issue of The following article appeared: Scots Magazine (First Published 1739), the "Clachan Bridge, which joins Seil to the mainland, is visited by thousands every year, but how many tourists notice the curious name of the hotel on the island side? This is Tigh Na Truish - The House of the Trousers - and the reason for its title is a shameful one. After Highland dress was banned in 1746, the only way men could wear the garb of their ancestors was by joining the army, indeed the authorities promised this as an inducement. Recruitment for the Highland regiments was very successful, but despite this, successive War Offices made attempts to dishonour their pledge and abolish the wearing of Highland dress. In 1809, they ordered that all Highland regiments must wear trews on the grounds that "wearing of kilts is objectionable to the people of South Britain". The 91st Argyllshire Highlanders received the news with dismay, and were horrified when a year later a further order abolished even tartan trews, replacing them with trousers of hodden grey. Shortly after, another order removed all trace of Highland dress. So ashamed were the Highlanders at being reduced to ordinary line soldiers that, on returning home on leave, their first action was to strip off the hated trousers at the inn at Clachan, and put on a borrowed kilt for their journey home. The inn became a veritable cloakroom of trousers and kilts, and its curious name commemorates the shameful breaking of enlistment promises by London. The War Office had not finished its spiteful work, for in 1850, the regiment even had its pipers abolished. However, in 1871, the 91st regiment formed the guard of honour at the marriage of Queen Victoria's daughter, Louise, to the Duke of Argyll, and as a token of thanks, the Queen asked what favour she could grant. Without hesitation, the commanding officer replied that the only thing the regiment desired was to be dressed in the kilt. This was granted - to the fury of the War Office - and the regiment given its present title of Princess Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, under which name it has performed with valour all over the world. Thanks to Queen Victoria, the House of Trousers at Clachan was no longer needed to hide the soldier's shame."