Grantown-on-Spey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grantown-on-Spey [1] 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 SW 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 2,239 [2].
Grantown-on-Spey is twinned with Notre-Dame-de-Monts in Vendée, Pays-de-la-Loire, France.
[edit] Visitor Information
There is a small museum [3] which is 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) :-
- Church of Scotland, in Seafield Avenue.
- Baptist, in the High Street.
- Roman Catholic, in the High Street.
- Episcopalian, in the High Street.
There are two local cemeteries which are maintained by the Highland Council:-
- Inverallan, 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".
[edit] 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 railway 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 bus services mainly concentrating on the route to Aviemore but also serving surrounding places. Grantown is also a destination for various national and international charter and touring services.
Taxi Services There are several local operators.
[edit] External links
- http://www.grantown.co.uk/ - Local information
- http://www.grantownonspey.com/ - Local information
- http://www.rapsons.co.uk/ - Local bus services, including to/from Aviemore
- http://www.carlberry.co.uk/ - Local bus services (3rd party site) including service to Ballater and seasonal services to Cullen
- http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ - GB national enquiry service for trains to nearest main line stations at Aviemore, Carrbridge and Elgin (no direct bus service from Elgin)
- 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
.