Location & Surroundings
At the foothills of the Cairngorm and Monadhliath Mountain ranges, you will find Kingussie, (pronounced king-you-sea)an attractive small town situated in the Spey valley and within the Cairngorms National Park.
Kingussie has two small supermarkets, a butcher, newsagents, three repair garages (none of which serves petrol), chemist, post office, coffee shops, several restaurants and hotels, two hairdressers, art galleries as well as other interesting and individual shops. The nearest towns serving petrol are Newtonmore (3 miles south) or Aviemore (11 miles north).
The town is situated at the heart of the Cairngorm National Park and staying at Avondale House gives you the opportunity to enjoy all types of outdoor pursuits that the area has to offer. Kingussie makes an ideal holiday location as it is conveniently situated to the A9 and only an hours’ drive from Inverness airport and has excellent railway links.
Fishing permits for the River Spey are available from many local outlets or from Badenoch Angling Association. Contact Sandy Bennett on 01540-661645.
For full information, visit: www.fishspey.co.uk
Or hire your own gillie for a day’s fishing and tuition. Contact www.speygillie.co.uk for more information and Loch Insh where this facility is also available www.lochinsh.co.uk
Listed below are just some of the activities to
tempt you to this area.
Golf: There are several excellent golf clubs within a short driving distance from Avondale House and information about the courses can be obtained from their websites:
www.grantownspeygolfclub.co.uk
Birdwatching: One of the important wetlands in the United Kingdom is Insh Marshes (1.5 miles from Kingussie) which are home to lapwings, red shanks and curlews in spring, and in winter the marshes flood, providing roosting and feeding for flocks of whooper swans and greylag geese. The best time for visiting Insh Marches is between November and June.
Wintersports:Ski-ing, snowboarding and other winter pursuits are enjoyed on the Cairngorm which is a short drive from Kingussie. Equipment hire is available in Kingussie.
Shooting:Shooting (and fishing) is available at
both estates also offer 4×4 and quad-biking.
Horse Riding:There are several riding stables nearby which offer tuition and pony trekking. For further details look at:
www.highlandridingcentre.co.uk
Walking and climbing:The Cairngorms Park offers a good range of walks and climbs to suit all ages and abilities and there are no fewer than 46 Munros to entice the keen climber!
There are many walks around Kingussie and the surrounding area. A visit to the Kingussie website will supply the information to help you decide which route to explore. www.kingussie.com
The Badenoch Way - offers magnificent views of the Cairngorm mountains and the Spey and Feshie rivers and passes Loch Insh and the villages of Kincraig and Insh.
The Speyside Way - The route follows the river Spey south from Buckie on the Grampian coast through forests, past whisky distilleries and along an old railway track to Aviemore. The total length of this walk is about 84 miles and the Spey is said to be the fastest flowing and cleanest river in Britain.
Whisky Trail: Following the Whisky Trail is a unique way to discover and enjoy the best Scotland has to offer – Highland scenery, a beautiful coastline and attractive towns and villages and indulge in your favourite pastime.
There are eight distilleries and a cooperage on the Malt Whisky Trail and the trail leads you to the Cashmere Visitor Centre (Elgin), craft centres, castles and gardens and Baxter’s of Speyside. Along the route the trail passes championship golf courses, and you can enjoy some excellent fishing, sailing, go dolphin watching or follow the Speyside Way footpath from the coast to the shadow of the Grampian Highlands.
