Highlander Scott McLaren (31 January 1991 – 4 July 2011)[1] was a British infanteer from the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland who went out on his own from a secure base in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

McLaren, who was from Sighthill in Edinburgh, had joined the British Army in August 2009 and after initial infantry training at Catterick, he was posted to B Company, 4 Scots who were based at Bad Fallingbostel in Germany at that time.

His section was attached to the 1st Battalion Battlegroup and on the 3 July 2011 this group deployed to Checkpoint Salaang in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand Province.

[6] McLaren's absence was formally registered at 4:00 am (local time) and sparked a massive manhunt that drew in friendly forces from outside of the UK military sphere.

[8] His body was repatriated to the United Kingdom on the 12 July 2011 through RAF Lyneham accompanied by the usual cortege through the streets of Wootton Bassett.

[10] At the inquest deciding how Highlander McLaren died, Wiltshire and Swindon coroner David Ridley said "I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Scott was captured by insurgent forces and ultimately was executed by insurgent forces on the morning of July 4; therefore, for those reasons, the conclusion I am going to record is that Scott McLaren was unlawfully killed while on active service in Afghanistan.

[11] An Afghan Army General claimed that McLaren had gone swimming with two ANA troops, was separated and drowned with the Taliban abusing his body when they found it.