Gordon Highlanders Musuem
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Winston Churchill once called them “The finest regiment in the world”. Quite an accolade! The Gordon Highlander Museum is a testament that was a very able part of the British Army.
A popular place and great coffee shop within. Our web design Aberdeen is located nearby.
The museum was opened in 1997, in the West End of Aberdeen. They moved to the old headquarters of the Highlanders. Prior to the Highlanders move, the property was owned by renowned artist Sir George Reid. The building was extended and modified heavily for the museum to thrive in the future.
The history of the Highlanders started in 1794! Since then, the regiment has been through dozens of wars ranging from The Battles of the Pyrennees to the Battle of Waterloo 1813 and 1815, respectively. Right through to the First World War and battles such as The Somme.
Exactly 200 years after the creation of the Gordon Highlanders, the regiment joined The Royal Regiment of Scotland. All other smaller battalions in Scotland followed suit to become that more significant national regiment. The 4 Scots, the Highlanders are their new name. Since then, the Battalion has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under a new banner maybe, but the Gordon Highlanders esteem still lives on in the memories of many related to or served in that famous name.
An excellent part of the Museum is The Armoury, showcasing weapons as far back as Napoleonic times. The progress made through time and the different weapons are fascinating. As well as guns, there are also medals and swords. The museum sees this as one of their treasured sections, and rightly so.
The museum was even featured in Aberdeen’s version of the hit board game Monopoly. This shows what the steep history of this regiment means to locals and esteem its held in the army.
The Moffat Trench was built at the museum in 2019, in time for the centenary mark - the end of the First World War. Recent films such as 1917, which was directed by Sam Mendes(James Bond fame), have put the First World War very much back in the minds of many. The film won best Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects at prestigious Oscars. Another recent Film is Warhorse, a great film and has impressive scenes of the trenches. With few survivors, these movies are a way to remind us of the past and the sacrifices made by these brave men. The men and woman depicted in these films were just normal people, forced into War not of their choice. The sacrifice and bravery of these should be remembered until the end of time. The Trench is a wonderfully recreated scene and a fantastic part of the museum. If there is only 1 part you see of the museum, make it The Moffat Trench.