The building was designed as the headquarters of the 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, the Seaforth Highlanders and was completed in 1908.[1][2] The battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to the Western Front.[3]
After the Second World War, the battalion amalgamated with 5th (Caithness and Sutherland) Battalion and 7th (Morayshire) Battalion to form 11th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's), with B Company of the 11th Battalion based at the Cooper Park drill hall.[4] The 11th Battalion then amalgamated with the 4th/5th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to form the home defence battalion of the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) in 1967.[4]
The home defence battalion of the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) was in turn absorbed into the 51st Highland Volunteers in 1969 with a rifle platoon of C (Queen's Own Highlanders) Company, 2nd Battalion, 51st Highland Volunteers still based at Cooper Park.[5] The 51st Highland Volunteers split into two battalions in 1971 with the headquarters of the 2nd Battalion located at Cooper Park.[5] The 2nd Battalion was re-designated the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) with headquarters still at Cooper Park in 1995.[5] Following the Strategic Defence Review in 1998, the presence at Cooper Park was reduced to a single rifle platoon of B (Highlanders) Company, the 51st Highlanders Regiment.[5] The building was subsequently decommissioned and now forms part of Elgin Library.[1]
