Walcheren Barracks

Walcheren Barracks is a Drill hall located at Hotspur Street in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland. It was opened in 1985 by Princess Margaret and is currently base of the Headquarters and two Companies of 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, the regular recruitment team for the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, as well as detachments of the Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps. Lowland House, headquarters of The Lowland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association is also located at the site. The facility is the only one in Glasgow and the West of Scotland to be formally designated as a Barracks, although there are several other Territorial Army Centres in the area, including 32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment at Kelvinside, 105 Regiment, Royal Artillery in Partick and 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment at Finnieston. The Barracks takes it’s name from Operation Infatuate, part of the Battle of the Scheldt in which the Glasgow Highlanders of 52nd (Lowland) Division were involved in the capture of Walcheren Island on November 8th 1944. It is less likely to refer to the infamous 1809 Walcheren Campaign that involved the 71st Regiment of Foot, which later became part of the Highland Light Infantry. The Barracks is located adjacent to the former site of Maryhill Barracks, which was built in 1876, and became the home depot of the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow) regiment after the Childers Reforms of 1881. It also famously held Hitler's second-in-command Rudolf Hess during World War Two after his supposed "Peace" flight to the UK. Maryhill Barracks was closed and largely demolished in 1960, to be replaced by the Wyndford Housing estate.