Soldiers from the Black Watch revisited the well dug by their forebears in 1849 — thought to be the first time the famous regiment has returned to the spot since.

The pipes and drums of the legendary Scottish regiment, now the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, performed yesterday as the relandscaped Black Watch Well off North Shore Road, Pembroke, was officially opened by Governor George Fergusson and Public Works Minister Craig Cannonier.

Mr Fergusson, whose late father Brigadier Charles Fergusson was commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch, said: “Their predecessors dug this well here at a time of a terrible outbreak of yellow fever.”

He added that Black Watch soldiers who themselves fell victim to the plague, which was accompanied by a serious drought, were buried at the Methodist Church in St George’s.

Mr Fergusson said: “It’s great that this well has been restored and once again becomes an element in the wonderful range of historic sites Bermuda can boast.

“It’s now possible for people to visit again, read the history and reflect on the tough times of people who lived in Bermuda in the past.”

He added: “I have a family association with the regiment and I’m very proud to see this connection reestablished on a very Scottish day for weather.”

The pipes and drums of the Black Watch are on the Island to perform at the Royal Bermuda Regiment’s 50th anniversary military tattoo, which opened last night with an all-star international line-up at the historic Keep Yard in Dockyard.

Mr Cannonier said: “It is with great pleasure I welcome the pipes and drums of the Black Watch to Bermuda.”

He said the occasion marked “just one link that exists between the past and present” and was representative of Bermuda’s “rich and diverse” history and culture. Mr Cannonier added: “The historic Black Watch Well has lain neglected between the two roads for a long time.”

A new roundabout and the grassing over of a stretch of Black Watch Pass, which took its name from the well, means that it will be easier and safer for the public to visit the well, according to the minister.

He added: “Today we have marked a part of history which established to help residents. It’s now a landmark that can be recognised.”

Major General Edward Smyth-Osbourne, the general officer commanding the London District of the British Army, the area linked to the Royal Bermuda Regiment, said that a close working relationship with the Royal Bermuda Regiment had already seen the Island’s defence force acquire modern standard issue British Army SA-80 rifles at no cost to Bermuda, to replace its ageing stock of Mini Rugers. Maj Gen Smyth-Osbourne added that the direct link had also led to two Regiment soldiers being seconded to Britain’s Coldstream Guards for training in Belize.

He said his visit would help to “maintain the relationship with the Royal Bermuda Regiment and to look at further opportunities and to continue that support we have talked about”.

Pembroke Parish Council chairman Patricka Ferguson said the revamped site was a great improvement for the area. “We’re extremely pleased — I know a lot of work and time went into this project and for it to be completed before the year is out is great,” she said. “The opening was beyond what I expected and I was grateful to be a part of it.”