| Old Bank Road drill hall | |
|---|---|
| Golspie, Scotland | |
 Old Bank Road drill hall, Golspie | |
  Old Bank Road drill hall Location within Sutherland | |
| Coordinates | 57°58′41″N3°57′49″W / 57.97817°N 3.96349°W Coordinates: 57°58′41″N3°57′49″W / 57.97817°N 3.96349°W |
| Type | Drill hall |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1892 |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1892 – 1980 |
The Old Bank Road drill hall is a military installation in Golspie, Scotland.
The building was designed as the headquarters of the 1st Sutherland (The Sutherland Highland) Volunteer Rifle Corps and completed in 1892. [1] This unit evolved to become the 5th (The Sutherland and Caithness) Battalion, the Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) in 1908. [2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front. [3] The battalion amalgamated with the 4th Battalion, the Seaforth Highlanders to form the 4th/5th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's), with its headquarters at the Old Bank Road drill hall in Golspie, in 1921. [2] The 4th Battalion and 5th Battalion operated separately from 1939 and 1941, when they amalgamated again after the surrender at Saint-Valery-en-Caux. [4]
After the Second World War, the combined battalion amalgamated with 6th (Caithness and Sutherland) Battalion and 7th (Morayshire) Battalion to form 11th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's), with D Company of the 11th Battalion based at the Old Bank Road drill hall. [5] The 11th Battalion then amalgamated with the 4th/5th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form the home defence battalion of the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) in 1967. [5]
The home defence battalion of the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) was in turn absorbed into the 51st Highland Volunteers in 1969; the building continued to be used on an occasional basis until 1980 since when it has been left to decay. [6] It is now considered to be at risk. [6]
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