University Royal Naval Unit East Scotland

University Royal Naval Unit East Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Aonad Cabhlach Rìoghail an Oilthigh an Ear na h-Alba
Active1967–present (57 years)
  • 1967–2012 : Aberdeen
  • 2012–2022 : Edinburgh
  • 2022–present : East Scotland
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeTraining establishment
RoleOfficer Training
Size~ 65 Officer Cadets
~ 8 Training Staff
3 Permanent Staff
Part ofBritannia Royal Naval College
University Service Units
Garrison/HQHepburn House, Edinburgh
RMR Strathmore Avenue, Dundee
Nickname(s)URNUES
URNU East Scotland
'East Scotland'
'Scotland'[nb 1]
'Edinburgh'[nb 2]
Motto(s)"The Original and Best"[1]
Colours  Navy Blue
  Gold
MarchOfficial – Heart of Oak
Unofficial – Scotland the Brave
Mascot(s)The Unicorn
EquipmentHMS Archer
Websiteroyalnavy.mod.uk
Commanders
Current
commander
Lt Cdr Nick Bates RN (2022-)[2]
Notable
commanders
Lt Tim Fraser RN (1989-1991)
Lt John Clink RN (1991-1993)
Lt Cdr Richard Bridges RN (1974-1975)

The University Royal Naval Unit East Scotland (URNU East Scotland or URNUES) (RP: /ˈər.n  .../ UHR-noo ..., SSE: /ˈɜːr.n  .../ ERR-noo ...) is one of 17 University Royal Naval Units and a Royal Navy training establishment based in Scotland, accepting roughly 65 Officer Cadets from universities in Edinburgh, Fife and the Tayside region.[2] It is one of the University Service Units and is under the command of Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. The unit's affiliated P2000 ship is HMS Archer, which is predominantly used for training Officer Cadets.[3]

The unit is commanded by its commanding officer (CO), usually a full-time Royal Navy Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander or Royal Marines Captain. The remainder of its staff consists of a full-time Chief Petty Officer acting as the unit Coxswain (Cox'n or Coxn), a Royal Naval Reserve Lieutenant as the unit's Senior Training Officer (STO) and a number of Training Officers (TOs), who vary between Royal Naval Reserve Acting Sub-Lieutenants,[4] Sub-Lieutenants and Lieutenants. This format, with the exception of rank, roughly mirrors the training staff and format of BRNC.[5] In addition, the unit has a Unit Administration Officer (UAO), who is a civilian and does not wear uniform.[2]

URNU East Scotland primarily operates out of two locations, and is split into three divisions. Two of its divisions are based in Hepburn House, in Edinburgh, with its third division being based at RMR Strathmore Avenue, in Dundee. These two locations, while geographically separated, operate as one unit, and Officer Cadets train interchangeably at both locations.


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  1. ^ "Wayback machine - AURNU". Archived from the original on 9 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Royal Navy - URNU East Scotland". Royal Navy. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Royal Navy - HMS Archer". Royal Navy. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  4. ^ "BR3, Ch 110 – The University Royal Naval Units and Cadet Forces" (PDF). Royal Navy Books of Reference. Royal Navy. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Captain BRNC STO Twitter Post". Captain BRNC. Retrieved 5 May 2022.