Introduction

This evening, I am reporting on the small town of Kingussie (pop 1400) which is located in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park. Kingussie is forty-three miles south of Inverness.

This area is well suited to outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and walking.

Kingussie is well resourced in terms of hotels, lodgings, restaurants and cafes.

Information on Kingussie

Onomatology: Contrary to initial impressions the name is not connected with royalty. In fact, the name has arboreal origins. It was originally cinn ghiuthsaich (Gaelic) which means ‘at the head of the firs’.

Elevation: About eight hundred feet.

Here is a video clip of the Kingussie landscape.

Visitor attractions nearby include:

• Highland Folk Museum: This is an open air attraction, Visitors can connect with Highland life over time periods stretching back to the 1700s.Check website for opening times.
• Highland Wildlife Park: A two hundred acre site featuring a wide range of birds and animals from around the world including the rare Scottish Wildcat.

• The Insh Marshes Reserve (birds) covers 10 square kilometres. Location is the River Spey floodplain between Kingussie and Kincraig in Badenoch and Strathspey. Reported to be one of the most important wetland areas in Europe. Here are populations of breeding waders including curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe. Check website for location and access details.
• Ruthven Barracks: Ruins of an 18th century Redcoat fort built on the site of a medieval castle. More information can be found on this blog page.

More information for the tourist

Please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland (ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4) for a wide range of information on all regions of Scotland, including the Highlands. This publication is also available via Kindle.