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Kingussie is a small Town in the Highlands
of Scotland, 69 miles northwest of Perth, 14 miles
south of Aviemore.
Kingussie is popular for Horse Riding, Ruthven
Barracks 1 mile southeast, Highland Folk Museum 2 miles south,
and the Highland Wildlife Park 5 miles
north.
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Click On Map for area Attractions
Camping &
Touring Parks in area
The image top is of the centre of Kingussie
with the Memorial Park to the right, with the
Train Station at the other end of the Park.
The Duke of Gordon Hotel
looks over the Park. This was originally a
1700s Inn for Stage Coaches
traveling along the old A9 road to Inverness.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the
Inn on 8th October 1861. The Hotel was built to
replace the Inn around 1906.
By the Train Station,
is the Silverfjord Hotel and Mackenzie Fountain
erected in 1911. The Railway Station opened in
1863.
The Silverfjord
Hotel was originally built in 1901 for a
local Whisky Merchant named George Sellar.
Ruthven Barracks are 1 mile southwest
of Kingussie, down past the Train Station. The
Barracks were built in 1719, after the 1715
Jacobite rising, to try and prevent any more
Risings. The Barracks were partially destroyed
during the last Rising in 1746.
Kingussie Golf
Club is half of a mile up Gynack Road, that
runs up-hill from the Duke of Gordon Hotel. The
Golf Club was founded in 1891, a scenic course
lined by trees with mountain views all
around.
The Highland Folk Museum is 2 miles
south with a selection of Buildings from the
1700s to 1950s.
The Highland Wildlife Park, opened
in 1972, is 5 miles north where you can drive
around a section with Deer, Wild Horses,
Buffalo, and more. There is also a walk round
section with Polar Bears, Tigers, Leopards,
Scottish Wild Cats, and more.
Kingussie History
1220s - a Castle was built at Ruthven 1 mile
southwest of where Kingussie is today.
1371 - Ruthven Castle was owned by Alexander
Stewart, Lord of Badenoch, son of King Robert
II.
Other Clans in this are were Macpherson and
Grant.
1390 - Stewart became known as the Wolf of
Badenoch, as after the Bishop of Elgin
excommunicated him for marital infidelity, he
led forces that destroyed Elgin Cathedral, and
much of Elgin Town.
1405 - Stewart was buried at Dunkeld
Cathedral, 56 miles south of Kingussie,
with his Tomb topped with an Effigy in
Armour.
1689 - Ruthven Castle was destroyed during a
Jacobite Rising.
1719 - Ruthven Barracks were built on the
site of Ruthven Castle. The Barracks were one
of a number built throughout the Highlands at
that time to hold Government Troops, so they
could be used to try and prevent more Jacobite
Risings.
1746 - Ruthven Barracks were partially
destroyed by Jacobite's after the Battle of
Culloden.
1799 - the 4th Duke of
Gordon began the building of Kingussie
where the Gynack Burn tumbles down out of the
mountains. The fast flowing Gynack was used to
power early Weaving Mills.
1800s early - many Crofters moved into
Kingussie for work in the Mills as their land
was used for large scale Sheep Farming.
1800s early - new Road Surfaces and Bridges
led to more people traveling between Perth and
Inverness on Horse Drawn Coaches, with
Kingussie becoming a stopover. The main road
between Fort William and Inverness also passes
through Kingussie.
Road surfaces at that time were known as
McAdam, differnet sizes of
small stones packed down to make an even
surface.
1842 - Queen Victoria begins visiting the
Highlands, with News Papers printing how
facinating she found the area, leading to an
increase in tourism.
1863 - the Railway reached Kingussie.
1891 - Kingussie Golf Club was founded.
1891 - Sir Hugh Munroe completes a list of
Scottish Mountains over 3,000ft, leading to
vast numbers of Hikers visiting the Highlands
to try and hike all of these Mountains.
1893 - Kingussie Shinty
Team was founded, claimed to be the most
successful sporting team of all time.
1895 - a Distillery named Speyside was built
at Kingussie.
1895 - the first Car was imported into
Scotland for a Glasgow engineer name George
Johnston, a French built Panhard. These early
cars created a lot of dust when traveling fast
over the McAdam Roads.
1902 - Tar was sprayed on the McAdam Roads
to prevent dust, the beginning of modern day
roads, and a vast increase in traffic to the
Highland Towns.
1910 - the Speyside Distillery closed.
1944 - the Highland Folk Museum was
relocated to Kingussie.
1961 - the Aviemore Ski Resort opened north of
Kingussie, leading to the area becomming a
popular winter tourist destination.
Loch Morlich
Watersports, Loch Insh
Watersports, Biking, and Hiking, have led
to the area becomming popular all year
round.
1970s - the first luxury Off Road vehicals
are built such as the Range Rover, leading to
4x4 tours becomming popular in the Highlands,
such as Highland All
Terrain 17 miles southwest of
Kingussie.
1972 - the Highland Wildlife Park opened 5
miles north.
1978 - the first Mountain Bikes are built,
leading to a number of Mountain Bike routes
being created throughout the Highlands.
1987 - the Highland Folk Museum was moved to
Newtonmore 2 miles south.
1991 - the Speyside Distillery Company opened a
Distillery 2 miles southeast of Kingussie, past
Ruthven Barracks. Visits to this Distillery are
by appointment only.
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