Redford Barracks

Redford Barracks
Colinton, Edinburgh, Scotland
The former Cavalry Barracks at Redford
Redford Barracks
Coordinates	55°54′37″N 3°14′45″W / 55.91028°N 3.24583°W / 55.91028; -3.24583Coordinates: 55°54′37″N 3°14′45″W / 55.91028°N 3.24583°W / 55.91028; -3.24583
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	British Army
Site history
Built	1909–1915
Built for	War Office
Architect	Harry Bell Measures
In use	1915-Present
Garrison information
Occupants	Balaclava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)

Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks is located on Colinton Road, near the Edinburgh City Bypass, east of the suburb of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Redford Barracks was built between 1909 and 1915 by the War Office and designed by Harry Bell Measures. When completed, the Barracks was the largest military installation built in Scotland since Fort George in the Highlands. The British Army garrison in Edinburgh Castle formally moved out to the barracks in 1923. Today, the Infantry Barracks are unoccupied, and the Cavalry Barracks houses Balaclava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders).

The barracks comprises two category B listed main buildings and parade squares facing Colinton Road.^[1][2]

Infantry Barracks

The Infantry Barracks at Redford

The Infantry Barracks (55°54′37″N 3°14′45″W / 55.9103°N 3.2457°W / 55.9103; -3.2457 (Infantry Barracks, Redford Barracks, Edinburgh)), was originally built to house an entire infantry regiment and could accommodate 1,000 men. It could provide everything the resident line infantry battalion required to function. The families lived in service quarters close to the barracks and the children attended local schools. The main barrack block itself housed the resident Battalion Headquarters, one Rifle Company, a Fire Support Company and Headquarters Company. The two other Rifle Companies were accommodated in a separate, newer block. 3rd Battalion The Rifles, the last battalion to occupy the barracks, moved out in 2014.^[3]

As part of the Future Force 2020 budgetary announcement in July 2011, RAF Kirknewton was to have been developed into a major Army base to host a Multi-Role Brigade^[4] Redford and Dreghorn Barracks would become surplus to requirements and were earmarked for disposal under this plan.^[5] However, in December 2011 it was reported that the planned move to Kirknewton was in doubt, and that Redford Barracks would be retained.^[6] By 2013 it was confirmed that the MRB plan had been dropped, and that only a part of Redford Barracks would be closed.^[7]

Cavalry Barracks

The three-storey Cavalry Barracks (55°54′46″N 3°14′31″W / 55.9127°N 3.2419°W / 55.9127; -3.2419 (Cavalry Barracks, Redford Barracks, Edinburgh)), with its tall domed clock-tower, was originally built to house a cavalry regiment, most notably the Royal Scots Greys, with a large annexe of stables and associated outbuildings. With the permanent stationing of armoured units like the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in Germany as part of the British Army of the Rhine, the Cavalry Barracks became a home to D squadron, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards stationed there from 1971 until disbanded in 1976.^[8]

The cavalry barracks have been the home for Balaclava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) since 2014.^[9][10]

In November 2016 the Ministry of Defence announced that the whole site (infantry and cavalry barracks) would close in 2022.^[11]

References