Grantown-on-Spey
Encyclopedia
Grantown-on-Spey is a town in the Highland Council Area in Scotland
.
It was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement
on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey
at the northern edge of the Cairngorm
mountains, about 20 miles South East of Inverness
(35 miles by road).
It is the main town in what was the ecclesiastical (and later civil) parish of "Cromdale
, Inverallan
and Advie
" formed by the union of the same-named parishes in the 16th century. It was formerly in the county
of Moray, until the 1860s being partly within a detached portion of Inverness-shire
. From 1898 to 1975 it was a burgh
in Morayshire before being subsumed into the Badenoch and Strathspey
district of the Highland Region until District and Regions were abolished in 1996. Originally simply "Grantown" (after Sir James Grant
), the addition of "on Spey" was one of the first actions of the newly-created burgh in 1898.
The 2001 population was 2,166.
Grantown-on-Spey is twinned with Notre-Dame-de-Monts in Vendée
, Pays-de-la-Loire, France
.
There is a small museum located in Burnfield Avenue near one of the town's three free car-parks.
There are a number of churches in the town (none of which have a burial ground):
There are two local cemeteries which are maintained by the Highland Council:-
which proposes to extend its line to Grantown-on-Spey. The nearest main line stations are Aviemore, Carrbridge and Elgin.
Bus Services: There are several local bus services mainly concentrating on the route to Aviemore but also serving surrounding places. It should be noted that some services operate only on schooldays.
Various long distance bus services are available in Aviemore
, Elgin
and Keith
. Current information for bus services of most of the operators is consolidated within the websites of the Moray Council and the Stagecoach group.
Taxi Services. There are several local operators.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
It was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey
River Spey
The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest-flowing river in Scotland...
at the northern edge of the Cairngorm
Cairngorms
The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain of the same name - Cairn Gorm.-Name:...
mountains, about 20 miles South East of Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
(35 miles by road).
It is the main town in what was the ecclesiastical (and later civil) parish of "Cromdale
Cromdale
Cromdale is a village in Highland, Scotland and one of the ancient parishes which formed the combined ecclesiastical parish of "Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie" in Morayshire....
, Inverallan
Inverallan
Inverallan is one of the parishes which formed the ecclesiastical parish of "Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie" in Morayshire in Scotland.It is generally equivalent to the area now known as Grantown....
and Advie
Advie
Advie is a small village in Strathspey, in the Highland Council Area of Scotland. It lies to the south of the River Spey, and next to the A95 road, roughly half-way between Grantown-on-Spey and Aberlour.-History:...
" formed by the union of the same-named parishes in the 16th century. It was formerly in the county
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Moray, until the 1860s being partly within a detached portion of Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire
The County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
. From 1898 to 1975 it was a burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in Morayshire before being subsumed into the Badenoch and Strathspey
Badenoch and Strathspey
Badenoch and Strathspey as a local government district 1975 to 1996Badenoch and Strathspey is a local government ward of the Highland council area and a ward management area of the Highland Council in Scotland...
district of the Highland Region until District and Regions were abolished in 1996. Originally simply "Grantown" (after Sir James Grant
Sir James Grant, 8th Baronet
Sir James Grant of Grant, 8th Baronet FRSE FSA , was a Scottish landowner and politician....
), the addition of "on Spey" was one of the first actions of the newly-created burgh in 1898.
The 2001 population was 2,166.
Grantown-on-Spey is twinned with Notre-Dame-de-Monts in Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, Pays-de-la-Loire, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Visitor Information
There is a small museum located in Burnfield Avenue near one of the town's three free car-parks.
There are a number of churches in the town (none of which have a burial ground):
- Inverallan Parish Church (Church of Scotland): on Mossie Road
- Baptist: on High Street
- Roman Catholic: on High Street
- Church of England: on High Street
There are two local cemeteries which are maintained by the Highland Council:-
- InverallanInverallanInverallan is one of the parishes which formed the ecclesiastical parish of "Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie" in Morayshire in Scotland.It is generally equivalent to the area now known as Grantown....
, the original burial ground which is still occasionally used. Most inscriptions have been transcribed and published in book form. It is between the River Spey and Inverallan House at O.S. grid reference NJ 026 260 and is beside the car park at the end of a road leading from the B9102 road. Apart from the baptism font beside the entrance gate the original Inverallan parish church no longer remains. - Grantown (also known as the "New Cemetery") which has been in use since the early 20th century. It is located between the B9102 and the A95 roads south of Grantown at O.S. grid reference NJ 027 267. The main entrance and car parking is on the B9102 with an alternative access to the lower (i.e. downhill!) end from the A95 "Grantown bypass".
Transport
Train services: The town used to be served by a railway which was however closed in the 1960s. The Strathspey Railway is a heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
which proposes to extend its line to Grantown-on-Spey. The nearest main line stations are Aviemore, Carrbridge and Elgin.
Bus Services: There are several local bus services mainly concentrating on the route to Aviemore but also serving surrounding places. It should be noted that some services operate only on schooldays.
Various long distance bus services are available in Aviemore
Aviemore
Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm...
, Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
and Keith
Keith, Moray
Keith is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of around 4,500....
. Current information for bus services of most of the operators is consolidated within the websites of the Moray Council and the Stagecoach group.
Taxi Services. There are several local operators.
External links
- http://www.grantownweather.co.uk/ - Live weather data in Grantown On Spey
- http://www.highland.gov.uk/ - The Highland Council / Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd - General "Leisure" and other information
- http://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk/ - Strathspey and Badenoch Herald - local weekly newspaper with on-line content
- http://www.grantowngrammar.highland.sch.uk/ - Grantown Grammar School, which serves Grantown and a wide surrounding area
- http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ - Public train service fare and timetable information for all of Great Britain
- http://www.scotrail.co.uk - Scotrail, Public train services for Scotland