The Victoria Road drill hall is a former

military installation A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

History

The building was designed by John Bennie Wilson as the headquarters of the 3rd Lanarkshire (1st Glasgow Southern) Rifle Volunteer Corps and completed in 1884. It was extended along Coplaw Street in 1903. The 3rd Lanarkshire (1st Glasgow Southern) Rifle Volunteer Corps became the 7th Battalion, The

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Reg ...

in 1908. The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

and then to the Western Front. The battalion amalgamated with the 6th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) to form the 6th/7th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) at the Muir Street drill hall in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

in 1950 although a company remained at the Victoria Road drill hall until the 6th/7th Battalion was disbanded in 1967. The drill hall was also used for parades by the

Boys' Brigade The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by the Scottish businessman Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values. Following its inception ...

in the 1960s. The original drill hall was subsequently demolished leaving only the Coplaw Street extension standing: the extension was converted for leisure centre use in 1984 and then converted to apartments in 2001.

References

{{reflist Drill halls in Scotland Buildings and structures in Glasgow

History

See also

References