Guild Street drill hall, Aberdeen

57°08′43″N 2°05′51″W / 57.14517°N 2.09740°W / 57.14517; -2.09740TypeDrill hallSite historyBuiltEarly 19th centuryBuilt forWar OfficeIn useEarly 19th century-1920

The Guild Street drill hall is a former military installation in Aberdeen, Scotland.

History

The building was constructed as a private house in the early 19th century and converted into the headquarters of the 1st Aberdeen Rifle Volunteers in around 1860.[1][2] This unit evolved to become the 4th (The City of Aberdeen) Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders in 1908.[3] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front.[4][5]

By 1920 the battalion had moved out to the Woolmanhill drill hall (since demolished)[6] and building alterations were carried out to the Guild Street drill hall, to the designs of George Bennett Mitchell, to convert the building into offices for George Mellis and Sons, a retail chain.[7][8] The building subsequently became offices of HM Revenue and Customs and is now known as "Customs House".[9]

References

  1. ^ "Ordnance Survey name books: Aberdeenshire volume 1, 1865-1871". Scotland's places. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  2. ^ "The Gordon Highlanders". Scottish Military History. Archived from the original on 5 March 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ "Aberdeen, 26, 28, 30, 32 Guild Street, Drill Hall, George Mellis And Sons Ltd". Canmore. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Gordon Highlanders". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  5. ^ "4th Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 27 December 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Aberdeen, Woolmanhill, Drill Hall". Canmore. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Offices for George Mellis & Sons Ltd, Guild Street". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  8. ^ Reid, Neil (2016). Life Isn't All Smooth Waters. Authorhouse. ISBN 9781504966788.
  9. ^ "UK Trade Tariff: Entry Processing Unit sites". HM Revenue and Customs. Retrieved 25 June 2017.