With Lieutenant Colonel James Cowan at their head, 250 soldiers took part along with the battalion’s pipe band and the regimental brass band.

Lt Col Cowan said the parades — in Cupar, Leven and Cowdenbeath — were a thank you to the public who supported the troops during their tours of duty in Iraq.

“We are also marching in proud memory of the soldiers we lost, five of whom were from Fife and one from Fiji,” he said.

“Families of those who fell will be watching the parade and we also want to highlight that despite talks of amalgamation and disbandment The Black Watch is very much still here.”

In Cupar, traffic and pedestrians came to a stand-still as the regiment marched from Millgate to the Fluthers car park.

Then it was on to Leven, where spontaneous applause erupted as the parade passed through High Street with colours flying and bayonets fixed.

The battalion returned from its second tour of war-torn Iraq just before Christmas having taken part in the invasion less than a year before.

On Thursday, The Black Watch will march through three Angus burghs and Angus Council today unveiled details of the parades in Arbroath, Montrose and Forfar.

The first parade will take place in Arbroath, starting at 10 am.

The march will follow the route of The Shore, Ladybridge Street into High Street for its full length and into Hamilton Green before finishing at Arbroath Abbey.

In Montrose, the march will start at 12.30 pm, from Peel Place car park.

They will march along High Street, into Murray Street, finishing at Murray Street’s junction with Blackfriars Street.

Buses will wait in North Esk Road to take them to Forfar, where they will parade at 2 pm.

It will follow the route through West High Street, The Cross, East High Street and down Coutties Wynd into Academy Street before finishing in the Abbeygate car park.

A council spokeswoman said each route will have a rolling road closure carried out by police from the time the parade begins until its completion.