As regular readers of our travel blog will know we have previously visited the Cairngorms National Park on two different occasions. the first was Rothiemurches in 2019 and our second visit was to Grantown on Spey in October 2021. As our previous visits were so enjoyable we decided another return to Grantown was in order.
Grantown on Spey lies on the River Spey 13 miles northeast of Aviemore and is overlooked by the Cairngorm mountains. It was laid out as a planned village in 1766 by Sir James Grant whose intention was to crate a market town and industrial centre at the heart of his vast Strathspey estate. Like many other northern Scottish towns the arrival of the railway in 1863 made this area attractive to visitors for its fishing, shooting and hill walking, not quite the draw for working class families? Even after the railway closed in 1965 tourists still visited this area with skiing making Grantown on Spey an all year holiday resort.
Half a mile walk from the town square and the shops, which includes a large Co-Op Store, is the Grantown on Spey Camp Site. Affiliated to the Caravan and Motorhome Club it can only be described as a beautiful place to stay. It provides large fully serviced pitches and clean facilities with hot fast flowing showers and certainly one of the best sites we have had the privilege to stay on. Although it has new owners, thankfully it has not changed.
As i said last time the Cairngorms offers visitors a great deal to explore, some great walks, quite roads for cycling and just north of the town the Craig MacLean Leisure Centre. Although restricted opening hours its worth giving its 20 metre swimming pool a try.
If you carry on passed the leisure centre you can cycle a 10/11 mile circular ride on some very quiet roads which takes in the wonderful vista of the Cairncorms countryside.
We took advantage of the 36 bus service directly into Aviemore from Grantown Village Square, interestingly passing through Nethy Bridge and the Boat of Garten. Even on a rather dreich day the town was very busy.
It was in the 19th century it developed from a scattered crofting township into a railway junction when the Highland Railway opened a direct line to Inverness in 1892. During the 1960’s Aviemore expanded dramatically in association with the development of skiing in the Cairngorm Mountains. Today it's an all-year modern resort mainly consisting of outdoor clothing and equipment outlets but has eateries and coffee shops and a couple of large superstores and most importantly a Waterstones as the new Doug Johnstone ‘Black Hearts’ (book four in the Skelfs series) had been released the previous week.
Just a short walk from the town is the Anagach Woods which is one of Scotlands Special Protective Areas (SPA) with beautiful natural Scots pine trees, and is also the haunt of the Capercaillie. There are three way-marked trails through the woods. The longest trail allows you to link up with the Speyside Way. Grand circular walk before stopping for Hot Chocolate and scones in the town square.
You can carry on through the woods down to the River Spey and turn left. The pathway carries on along the spey passed the Old Spey Bridge, a beautiful walk especially on a nice day, plenty of benches to stop and eat your piece and admire the views.
As I have said many times If you worry to much about the weather while touring Scotland you would never get out to see the many surprises that await you around every corner. Packing our rain gear in our saddle bags we set off on our bikes heading for an afternoon ride to Nethy Bridge.
Just before Nethy Bridge up high above the roadway is Castle Roy which last time we visited was being renovated by some very skilled stonemasons and joiners. Now the work has been completed it's fully opened to the public. Greeted by a very nice local gentleman, who gave us a packet of shortbread biscuits and some postcards, he also recommended the new Nethy Bridge Cafe, which incidentally he once owned when it was a bunkhouse, we would have been silly not to give it try as it was attempting to rain again.
“Castle Roy is an 12th century fortress built by the Clan Comyn on a small glacial mound to the north of the modern village of Nethy Bridge. In 1420 the whole area came under the stewardship of the Clan Grant who are still the clan of this area today.” For full information please follow the attached link:
We also again met the Highland Coo, Murdo the guardian of the castle, who was rejected at birth and has since been hand reared. He is used to people so you can, if you're brave enough, stroke his head, which he appears to like.
Grantown on Spey and the surrounding area is must for all that enjoy beautiful country side and a place we would be happy to revisit again.
My late husband and I almost moved to Granton on Spey on 2004. A group he was working with was also working with a gentleman named Frank (do not recall his surname) to develop large building which I believe had been part of a shipyard,
ReplyDeletelocated on the north sea, into a shopping district. They were just four days from signing the contract when a disagreement caused Frank to back out of the deal. You cannot imagine my disappointment! I was sooo[ looking forward to living in Scotland!
Your blog is very much enjoyed, I visited my Scotish friends a couple of years ago and we came through the Highlands, I fell in love, I had never been this far in Scotland
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