Gordon Highlanders Museum

Gordon Highlanders Museum
	Gordon Highlanders Museum
	Museum location in Aberdeen
Established	1997
Location	Aberdeen
Coordinates	57°08′15″N 2°08′47″W / 57.1376°N 2.1464°W
Type	Military museum
Website	www.gordonhighlanders.com

The Gordon Highlanders Museum is based in Aberdeen, Scotland and celebrates the story of the Gordon Highlanders regiment, which originated as the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot in 1794, merged with the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Gordon Highlanders in 1881 and was then amalgamated into a new larger unit of the British Army in 1994. It is a 5-star Scottish Tourist Board attraction.^[1]^[2]

History

The museum is located in a 19th-century house which was purchased by the Scottish artist, Sir George Reid in 1867, and in which he lived and worked.^[3] It was acquired by the War Office in 1960 to be the regimental headquarters and then, after being transferred to the ownership of the trustees of the regiment in 1994, it was extended and re-opened as a museum in 1997.^[4]

Location and facilities

The museum is located in an angle of Viewfield Road, near a stream.^[5]^[2] It has a tea room facility,^[6] a volunteer-maintained garden,^[7] and both the museum and the garden can be rented as event venues.^[8]

The collection

The museum contains historical artefacts, memorabilia and regimental silverware. Within the building are a main gallery - the Grant Room - and a display of edged weapons and guns in the Armoury, along with a mock-up of the Regimental Officers' Mess, a Silver Room and a temporary exhibition space. Works by Sir George Reid are on loan from Aberdeen Art Gallery, and are displayed in various locations.^[3] A replica of a First World War trench was opened in 2019, and a 50% growth in visitor numbers followed.^[2] The Moffat Trench project won a tourism award at the end of 2019.^[9]

Operations

The museum is independent, self-financed and is governed by a charitable trust. Senior staff include the CEO and a curator. Its finances come predominantly from fundraisers and donations,^[10] and having nearly closed in 2016, after a downturn in corporate donations, notably from the oil and gas sector, it had recovered by 2019. Its operations are supported by, as of 2019, at least 170 volunteers.^[2]

It also hosts the Aberdeen Modellers Society (AMS) who meet on a regular basis at the museum.^[11]

Popular culture

The museum was selected as one of the named locations for the 2019 Aberdeen edition of the game Monopoly.^[12]

References

^ "Things to do in Aberdeenshire in 2016". Daily Record. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Drysdale, Neil (21 November 2019). "Gordon Highlanders Museum has been transformed as chief executive leaves five-star venue in good health". (Aberdeen) Press and Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b "The Museum". Gordon Highlanders. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ "Aberdeen museum honouring Gordon Highlanders prepares to mark its 20 year anniversary". Evening Express. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ "The Museum - visit". Gordon Highlanders. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ "The Duchess Jean Tea Room". The Gordon Highlanders. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ "The Gordon Highlander Museum Garden". The Gordon Highlanders. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ "Venue Hire". The Gordon Highlanders. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ Drysdale, Neil (28 December 2019). "Moffat Trench at Gordon Highlanders Museum wins prestigious award". (Aberdeen) Press and Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ "Donate". The Gordon Highlanders Museum. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
^ Beattie, Kieran (17 September 2018). "Off the scale fun at second annual Aberdeen scale model show". (Aberdeen) Press and Journal. Retrieved 28 March 2020. The society meets on the second Tuesday of every month at the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen...
^ "The Gordon Highlanders Museum Gets To Star In The Brand New Aberdeen Monopoly Game !". The Gordon Highlanders. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.