Kingussie lies twelve miles south of Aviemore and is the capital of the historic district of Badenoch. It was the ancient territory of the Comyns, until they were defeated by Bruce who retained the land for the Crown, although he did give some of it away to Randolph, the Earl of Moray. The Crown land was late given to Alexander, son of Robert II, commonly known as The Wolf of Badenoch. Nearby, the Ruthven Barracks are situated on a hummock and surrounded by a large medieval motte. They were constructed in 1718 to control the Highlanders and remain the best preserved of the many garrisons for the same purpose. They were seized by the Jacobites in 1744 and were blown up after the Battle of Culloden to prevent further use by the enemy.
In Kingussie itself is the Highland Folk Museum where all about the old ways of life in the Highlands can be experienced. Also worth a look is the nearby Highland Wildlife Park, which shows both the present wildlife of Scotland and the wildlife that used to have a stronghold here, including wolves and bears. The ancient Celtic game of Shinty thrives here and regular games are played with their arch rivals, Newtonmore amongst other opponents.
