Educated at George Watson's College in Edinburgh, Young was commissioned into the Royal Scots in 1945.

[2] He served in the Malayan Emergency in the early 1950s and won his Distinguished Flying Cross operating at low levels over rugged jungle terrain with 656 Air Observation Squadron.

[2] In 1970 he was appointed commander of the 12th Mechanised Brigade and in 1972 he became Deputy Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.

[1] He moved on to be Commander Land Forces at HQ Northern Ireland in 1975 at the height of the Troubles[3] and then became Director, Infantry, in 1977.

[1] He was made General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1980, before retiring from regular service in 1982.