Rosyth - HMS Scotia

Military experience

Lorne Robertson joined the Royal Naval Reserve at HMS GRAHAM as a Junior Rating in 1982, and subsequently served in Ton class MCMVs before joining the Reserve Undergraduate Midshipman scheme on entering the University of Glasgow.

During the next 12 years he served in a number of ships and completed many deployments in various appointments, including Commanding Officer.

In 1994 Lorne was re-called to regular service and joined the Inshore Training Squadron in Rosyth. He implemented the changes in the operational structure of the Mine Warfare Branch of the RNR and trained University Royal Navy Unit P2000 ship’s companies and students. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1996 and completed the Mine Warfare Battle Staff Course, the Maritime Tactical Course and the Senior Reserve Officer’s Defence Course at the RN College Greenwich. In addition, he participated in a number of exercises in Battle staff appointments with MCM2, including an On Call Force deployment to the Mediterranean.

In 1997 Lorne was appointed as Staff Officer Operations (Surface and Air) to FOSNNI. He was responsible for all the naval air and surface activity within a very large geographical area. In particular he was the OiC of the Cape Wrath ranges in Sutherland. Throughout this period Lorne continued as a HoD and First Lieutenant of HMS DALRIADA in Greenock and undertook exercises and operations with various MCM Battle Staffs.

In 2002 Lorne deployed to Sierra Leone as a United Nations Military Observer. During this period the MILOBS supervised disarmament and reconstruction during the immediate aftermath of a brutal civil war.

On return from Sierra Leone Lorne was sent on another operational tour, as an acting Commander, to the Balkans as a Military Adviser and as CO of the UK contingent of NATO HQ Skopje.

In June 2003 Lorne was deployed to OP TELIC II as second-in-command of the Iraqi Riverine Patrol Service based in Basra for operations on the Shat Al Arab.

On return from Iraq Lorne was appointed as the Integrated Contingency Planning Officer at HMNB Clyde. This involved a number of interesting tasks including planning for the Gleneagles G8 summit.


Lorne lives in Argyll and in his limited spare time he enjoys sea kayaking, fly fishing and hill walking.