Kingussie is in the Cairngorms National Park a 55 minute train journey south from Inverness or 2 1/2 hours from Edinburgh & Glasgow. It’s the capital town of Badenoch in the Highlands and has a population of around 1,400. Rudy spent a few days here for a wee holiday in May 2021.
Kingussie Town
The town was planned and laid out by the 4th Duke of Gordon in the late 18th Century. Adverts were placed in the Aberdeen Journal encouraging “tradesmen, manufacturers and shopkeepers” to settle here. Enough people took up the offer that a grand railway station was built in 1863 ensuring Kingussie grew as a Highland resort destination it is today. The town is mostly to the north of the railway line with the floodplain of the River Spey lying to the south.
Kingussie High Street. View south from Kingussie
The Glebe Pond
The Glebe Pond is a small community adopted haven on the eastern boundary of Kingussie. Despite a main road and the railway bordering the ponds it’s a remarkably peaceful spot. In 2012 trainees from the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland rebuilt the paths to make the short circular walk fully accessible round the pond. If you were quick you could walk round in five minutes but then you’d miss the geese and the ducks and the tree lined boardwalks and the sculptures and everything! We loved it here for our pre-breakfast walks.
Rudy at the Glebe Nature Walk The Glebe Pond High & Dry!
Gynack Burn & Mill Trail
The Gynack Burn trail wasn’t in our plans but a rather dreich day meant we opted for this shorter walk rather than a full day adventuring. The Gynack Burn is at the heart of Kingussie – when the town was founded this river provided the power for the mills. There are no mills left now but the burn still cuts through the town, calm and controlled south of the High Street before it joins the River Spey and fast & tumbling over falls towards the north.
The Gynack Burn in Kingussie View over Kingussie Gynack Burn waterfall Gynack Mill Trail
The Gynack Mill Trail features in tourist leaflets and on signs around the town, it's well signposted but not difficult to follow. The information boards are excellent at telling a story as you walk rather than repeating the same information on each.