Castlehill Barracks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castlehill Barracks |
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| Aberdeen, Scotland | |
Castlehill Barracks
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 Castlehill Barracks
Location within Aberdeen
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| Coordinates | 57°08′56″N 2°05′26″W / 57.14886°N 2.09059°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1764-1796 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1796-1935 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Gordon Highlanders |
Castlehill Barracks was a military building in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was a place where soldiers lived and trained for many years. This historic site played an important part in the story of the famous Gordon Highlanders army regiment.
Contents
The Story of Castlehill Barracks
Building a Home for Soldiers
Castlehill Barracks was built a long time ago, between 1764 and 1796. It was constructed on the site of a very old castle from the 12th century. The barracks were built because people in Britain were worried about a possible attack from France at that time.
Becoming a Training Centre
In 1873, the British Army made some big changes to how they found and trained soldiers. This was part of something called the Cardwell Reforms. Under these changes, Castlehill Barracks became a "depot." A depot is like a main base where new soldiers join and train for a specific army group. Castlehill became the depot for two groups of soldiers: the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot and the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot.
A few years later, in 1881, more changes happened with the Childers Reforms. The 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot joined with the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot. Together, they formed the well-known Gordon Highlanders regiment. Castlehill Barracks continued to be their main depot. To make space for all the new soldiers, a large new building was added to the barracks between 1880 and 1881.
The End of the Barracks
As the years went by, in the early 1900s, Castlehill Barracks started to get old and worn out. It was no longer a suitable place for soldiers to live and train. In 1935, the Gordon Highlanders moved to a new, more modern base called Gordon Barracks at Bridge of Don.
After the soldiers left, Castlehill Barracks was used for a different purpose. In the 1940s and 1950s, it became emergency housing for families who needed a place to live. Finally, in 1965, the old barracks were taken down. New apartment buildings, called Marischal Court and Virginia Court flats, were built in its place.
