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Kingussie

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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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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 about 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.

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 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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