More than 900 British soldiers have had to face gunfire, town riots, wildlife and 45-degree heat as part of a recent 'back to basics' exercise in Kenya. Troops from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland took part in the training manoeuvre alongside elephants, zebras and camels on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya. Set in the shadow of Mount Kenya, Exercise Askari Storm saw the Edinburgh-based regiment pitched into a fictional battle between two warring 'countries'. Change of scenery: Soldiers from the Edinburgh-based 2nd Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, patrol at dusk as they take part in Exercise Askari Storm on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . Staged fight: Soldiers try to control a staged riot scene, one of many elements in the exercise which saw the regiment pitched into a fictional battle between two made-up nations . Morning call: Piper Stuart Gillies from Arran plays his pipes as the sunrises over Mount Kenya . Described as a 'sophisticated game of laser tag', troops had been armed with muzzled weapons loaded with blank rounds. Using a set of lasers and receivers attached to each soldier, any simulated injuries could be recorded as the 2nd Battalion went up against the British Army's Mercian regiment. The staged battle also included village riots staged by local Kenyans, employed to take part and add an extra dimension to the exercise. The soldiers were not told how events would unfold and had to react to developments around them as if they were real. At one point, troops had to intervene in a fictional village where actors had been hired to play out a clash over the made-up battle. This scene also saw staged blasts hitting the village, and the troops had to handle 'the victims' - locals using blood-covered prosthetic limbs. Hard at work: Sandbags are filled to reinforce the trenches dug out by soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland . The staged battle also included village riots staged by local Kenyans, employed to take part and add an extra dimension to the exercise . A soldier puts camouflage on as the troops from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland ready themselves for the exercise . An unnamed soldier from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland takes aim as Sergeant James Thomson from Ayr cools down during the fake-battle Nanyuki, Kenya . Acting up: A man plays the role of the minister as  he tries to move villagers away  as a riot scene is staged by locals . Controlling the crowd: Troops had to intervene in a fictional village where actors had been hired to play out a clash over the made-up battle . Fake it til you make it: 'Injured villagers' used blood-covered prosthetic limbs to add realism to the faked riot during the exercise . All fake: The scenes which saw the soldiers break up a village riot were not rehearsed and the soldiers had to deal with the situation as they would in real life . A 'casualty' is carried away as soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, take part in Exercise Askari Storm . New experience: A young soldier looks on during the staged riot on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . The training site in Kenya used to be seen as the primary base to prepare for deployments to Afghanistan but the the latest exercise was designed to 'reset the regiment's DNA' as an infantry unit. Commanding Officer Graeme Wearmouth said: 'Here, we've gone back to basics - a light infantry force working out of a backpack, living on our feet and demonstrating our capabilities against what we would call a near peer enemy; an enemy that is not an insurgent, but a more conventional force who have their own artillery, air support and those sorts of things. 'It's getting back to basics and resetting our DNA as infantrymen.' Under an agreement with the Kenyan government, six Army battalions carry out exercises in Kenya every year, and despite a diplomatic row last year over travel advice issued by the UK to Britons travelling to the east African country, it remains an important base. Commander Wearmouth added: 'It's such an important relationship we have (with Kenya). We're only here as guests of the Kenyan people and they are truly hospitable. 'We have many locals taking part as players in the exercise in some of the fictional villages and they do the job so well.' The animals roaming the training area gave the exercise a sense of safari but the wildlife was not kind to everyone. Short rest: Soldiers from C company watch TV as they sort their kit in a dormitory at Lab(E) Laikipia Air Base . Caring for the casualties: The medical team visits the Battlefield headquarters during the exercise near Nanyuki, Kenya . Np time: Lance Corporal Jade Baptie from Edinburgh sleeps underneath a tree during the exercise . What goes on tour stays on tour: Lance Corporal Matt Rounding (left) from 5 Scots talks with Lance Corporal Joe Degan of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland  in a dormitory at Lab(E) Laikipia Air Base (East) before taking   part in Exercise Askari Storm . Out we go: Using a set of lasers and receivers attached to each soldier, any simulated injuries could be recorded as the 2nd Battalion went up against the British Army's Mercian regiment . Nothing to fear: Exercise Askari Storm has been described as a 'sophisticated game of laser tag', as troops had been armed with muzzled weapons loaded with blank rounds . Private Jade Baptie, from Edinburgh, was given a shock when a scorpion bit her hand. 'When we're being transported between spots you see hundreds of animals - sometimes elephants, baboons and lots of zebras - but when you're on the job you hardly notice them because you're concentrating so much,' the 23-year-old said. 'That's what happened when I got stung by a scorpion while I was pulling my bergen (backpack) off one of the trucks. 'It must've been underneath, I didn't see it and it stung me on my right hand. I had pins and needles and I felt a bit rough - like I had a really bad hangover - but the medics said it wasn't poisonous so it wore away and I just got on with it.' Although Askari Storm is a training exercise, the troops are pushed to their limits. Pipe Major Stuart Gillies, from Arran, said: 'The first lot of phases were in Archers Post where it was absolutely roasting, around 45 degrees. 'I think I managed three hours sleep in the first couple of days of the final exercise because we were moving and preparing at night. Resting: The training site in Kenya used to be seen as the primary base to prepare for deployments to Afghanistan but the the latest exercise was designed to 'reset the regiment's DNA' as an infantry unit . Soldiers' dinner: Captain Rob Syfret cooks rations on mess tins as the sun sets on the troops in Kenya . Playing and pretending: Private Alastair Steven digs a trench on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . Entrenched: A soldier eats his rations in a trench as troops take a short break during Exercise Askari Storm . Commanding Officer Graeme Wearmouth (centre) talks  with soldiers at Battle Field Headquarters during Exercise Askari Storm . Groom-to-be: Corporal Sam Donnachie from Dailly, South Ayrshire, took part in the exercise in Kenya just weeks before his wedding . 'It's obviously very different from deployments where the danger is real and everywhere but it's hard work and everyone takes it seriously. 'I just hope I've got enough energy to play the bagpipes in the final leg of the exercise, I'm thinking I'll do the Star Wars theme.' Private William Marshall, from Edinburgh, spent four hours digging one trench with his platoon after an overnight move. He said: 'Three of us worked non-stop to get in to the ground in the middle of a valley, which is so dry. 'My hands were sore, feet agony and we get a wee break before it's on to the next one.' Corporal Sam Donnachie from Dailly, South Ayrshire, was in the country with his regiment for the third time, just weeks before his wedding next month. 'We're getting married in the Old Kirk in Ayr, which has the full regimental colours hanging, a month after I get back from Kenya,' the 29-year-old said. Despite six weeks away, Cpl Donnachie said his fiancee Gemma was not worried about his trip being so close to their big day. 'She worries about everything at home usually but I think I've been away that much now - three tours of Afghanistan, two tours of Iraq - that she's okay with training in Kenya,' he said.
Hundreds of troops from Royal Regiment of Scotland took part in exercise outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya .
The training manoeuvre saw soldiers fight in a fictional battle, described as a 'sophisticated game of laser tag'
More than 900 British soldiers took part in Exercise Askari Storm alongside elephants, zebras and camels .
More than 900 British soldiers have had to face gunfire, town riots, wildlife and 45-degree heat as part of a recent 'back to basics' exercise in Kenya. Troops from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland took part in the training manoeuvre alongside elephants, zebras and camels on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya. Set in the shadow of Mount Kenya, Exercise Askari Storm saw the Edinburgh-based regiment pitched into a fictional battle between two warring 'countries'. Change of scenery: Soldiers from the Edinburgh-based 2nd Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, patrol at dusk as they take part in Exercise Askari Storm on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . Staged fight: Soldiers try to control a staged riot scene, one of many elements in the exercise which saw the regiment pitched into a fictional battle between two made-up nations . Morning call: Piper Stuart Gillies from Arran plays his pipes as the sunrises over Mount Kenya . Described as a 'sophisticated game of laser tag', troops had been armed with muzzled weapons loaded with blank rounds. Using a set of lasers and receivers attached to each soldier, any simulated injuries could be recorded as the 2nd Battalion went up against the British Army's Mercian regiment. The staged battle also included village riots staged by local Kenyans, employed to take part and add an extra dimension to the exercise. The soldiers were not told how events would unfold and had to react to developments around them as if they were real. At one point, troops had to intervene in a fictional village where actors had been hired to play out a clash over the made-up battle. This scene also saw staged blasts hitting the village, and the troops had to handle 'the victims' - locals using blood-covered prosthetic limbs. Hard at work: Sandbags are filled to reinforce the trenches dug out by soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland . The staged battle also included village riots staged by local Kenyans, employed to take part and add an extra dimension to the exercise . A soldier puts camouflage on as the troops from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland ready themselves for the exercise . An unnamed soldier from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland takes aim as Sergeant James Thomson from Ayr cools down during the fake-battle Nanyuki, Kenya . Acting up: A man plays the role of the minister as  he tries to move villagers away  as a riot scene is staged by locals . Controlling the crowd: Troops had to intervene in a fictional village where actors had been hired to play out a clash over the made-up battle . Fake it til you make it: 'Injured villagers' used blood-covered prosthetic limbs to add realism to the faked riot during the exercise . All fake: The scenes which saw the soldiers break up a village riot were not rehearsed and the soldiers had to deal with the situation as they would in real life . A 'casualty' is carried away as soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, take part in Exercise Askari Storm . New experience: A young soldier looks on during the staged riot on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . The training site in Kenya used to be seen as the primary base to prepare for deployments to Afghanistan but the the latest exercise was designed to 'reset the regiment's DNA' as an infantry unit. Commanding Officer Graeme Wearmouth said: 'Here, we've gone back to basics - a light infantry force working out of a backpack, living on our feet and demonstrating our capabilities against what we would call a near peer enemy; an enemy that is not an insurgent, but a more conventional force who have their own artillery, air support and those sorts of things. 'It's getting back to basics and resetting our DNA as infantrymen.' Under an agreement with the Kenyan government, six Army battalions carry out exercises in Kenya every year, and despite a diplomatic row last year over travel advice issued by the UK to Britons travelling to the east African country, it remains an important base. Commander Wearmouth added: 'It's such an important relationship we have (with Kenya). We're only here as guests of the Kenyan people and they are truly hospitable. 'We have many locals taking part as players in the exercise in some of the fictional villages and they do the job so well.' The animals roaming the training area gave the exercise a sense of safari but the wildlife was not kind to everyone. Short rest: Soldiers from C company watch TV as they sort their kit in a dormitory at Lab(E) Laikipia Air Base . Caring for the casualties: The medical team visits the Battlefield headquarters during the exercise near Nanyuki, Kenya . Np time: Lance Corporal Jade Baptie from Edinburgh sleeps underneath a tree during the exercise . What goes on tour stays on tour: Lance Corporal Matt Rounding (left) from 5 Scots talks with Lance Corporal Joe Degan of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland  in a dormitory at Lab(E) Laikipia Air Base (East) before taking part in Exercise Askari Storm . Out we go: Using a set of lasers and receivers attached to each soldier, any simulated injuries could be recorded as the 2nd Battalion went up against the British Army's Mercian regiment . Nothing to fear: Exercise Askari Storm has been described as a 'sophisticated game of laser tag', as troops had been armed with muzzled weapons loaded with blank rounds . Private Jade Baptie, from Edinburgh, was given a shock when a scorpion bit her hand. 'When we're being transported between spots you see hundreds of animals - sometimes elephants, baboons and lots of zebras - but when you're on the job you hardly notice them because you're concentrating so much,' the 23-year-old said. 'That's what happened when I got stung by a scorpion while I was pulling my bergen (backpack) off one of the trucks. 'It must've been underneath, I didn't see it and it stung me on my right hand. I had pins and needles and I felt a bit rough - like I had a really bad hangover - but the medics said it wasn't poisonous so it wore away and I just got on with it.' Although Askari Storm is a training exercise, the troops are pushed to their limits. Pipe Major Stuart Gillies, from Arran, said: 'The first lot of phases were in Archers Post where it was absolutely roasting, around 45 degrees. 'I think I managed three hours sleep in the first couple of days of the final exercise because we were moving and preparing at night. Resting: The training site in Kenya used to be seen as the primary base to prepare for deployments to Afghanistan but the the latest exercise was designed to 'reset the regiment's DNA' as an infantry unit . Soldiers' dinner: Captain Rob Syfret cooks rations on mess tins as the sun sets on the troops in Kenya . Playing and pretending: Private Alastair Steven digs a trench on the outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . Entrenched: A soldier eats his rations in a trench as troops take a short break during Exercise Askari Storm . Commanding Officer Graeme Wearmouth (centre) talks  with soldiers at Battle Field Headquarters during Exercise Askari Storm . Groom-to-be: Corporal Sam Donnachie from Dailly, South Ayrshire, took part in the exercise in Kenya just weeks before his wedding . 'It's obviously very different from deployments where the danger is real and everywhere but it's hard work and everyone takes it seriously. 'I just hope I've got enough energy to play the bagpipes in the final leg of the exercise, I'm thinking I'll do the Star Wars theme.' Private William Marshall, from Edinburgh, spent four hours digging one trench with his platoon after an overnight move. He said: 'Three of us worked non-stop to get in to the ground in the middle of a valley, which is so dry. 'My hands were sore, feet agony and we get a wee break before it's on to the next one.' Corporal Sam Donnachie from Dailly, South Ayrshire, was in the country with his regiment for the third time, just weeks before his wedding next month. 'We're getting married in the Old Kirk in Ayr, which has the full regimental colours hanging, a month after I get back from Kenya,' the 29-year-old said. Despite six weeks away, Cpl Donnachie said his fiancee Gemma was not worried about his trip being so close to their big day. 'She worries about everything at home usually but I think I've been away that much now - three tours of Afghanistan, two tours of Iraq - that she's okay with training in Kenya,' he said.
More than 900 British soldiers have had to face Regiment of Scotland took part in the training manoeuvre alongside elephants, zebras and camels into a fictional battle between two made-up The Royal Regiment of Scotland  in a dormitory at Exercise Askari Storm has been described as a 'sophisticated game of laser tag', as troops had outskirts of Nanyuki, Kenya . Entrenched: A