Tourist's guide to visit Grantown-on-Spey

Visit Grantown-on-Spey – things to do & explore

Overview of Grantown-on-Spey history & facts by Walkfo

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Planning a visit to Grantown-on-Spey?

Grantown-on-Spey (Scottish Gaelic: Baile nan Granndach) is a town in the Highland Council Area, historically within the county of Moray. It is located on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains, about 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Inverness (35 miles or 56 km by road). The town was founded in 1765 as a planned settlement and was originally called simply Grantown after Sir James Grant. The addition ‘on Spey’ was added by the burgh council in 1898. The town has several listed 18th and 19th century buildings, including several large hotels and serves as a regional centre for tourism and services in the Strathspey region. The town is twinned with Notre-Dame-de-Monts in the Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France.

Grantown-on-Spey history

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The burgh was founded in 1765 during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution to encourage both agricultural marketing and handicrafts, as well as to increase local land values and to reduce unemployment and emigration. This was part of a wider effort at social and economic improvements brought about by some progressive landlords following the decades of peace after the Jacobite rising of 1745. Under the direction and funds of the landowner Sir James Grant, the site chosen for the town was to be a mile from Castle Grant and designed with space for a marketplace (known as the Square), with the High Street leading southwestwards, with large plots for sale at 200 yards length at right angles to the road. Old Grantown, an earlier small village near the castle was demolished and Kylintra Burn, a local stream was diverted to become the local water source. The new town was advertised in newspapers and elsewhere as a site close to farms, forests and quarries, with persons and businesses invited to apply for feus and leases. The official opening ceremony for the new town occurred on 12th June 1766, with a procession and celebration party. By 1768, the town was considered established and the first buildings had been constructed. By 1787, it was reported that over 300 inhabitants lived in Grantown. To assist manufacturing, Grant paid for the construction of several small factories, linen manufacturing houses and a bleachfield. During this period, new side roads, bridges, a town-house and jail were also constructed. By 1800, the town had grown enough to satisfy the demand for a new church and in 1803, Inverallan Church was built (originally named Grantown Church), itself replacing an older Inverallan Church (said to have dated to medieval times). The church was rebuilt in the 1880s. By 1841, Grantown had a population of 1,000. By the 1860s, linen manufacture had declined and Grantown was primarily functioning as a market town for the surrounding agricultural district and then during the late Victorian era tourism began to develop. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed for a night at the Grant Arms on the 4th September 1860. In 1863, it was reported that Grantown had 21 merchants, two banks, three inns (the Grant Arms, Black Bull and New Inn) and several shops, along with the newly opened Strathspey Railway. In 1898, Grantown was granted Burgh Status and ‘on Spey’ was added to the name of the town by the Burgh council. In 1900, the High Street consisted of numerous commercial shops, including a ironmongers, stationer, newsagent, photographer, art studio and several clothes shops selling tartan, tweeds and knitwear. By 1902, tourism had grown significantly to the town and region, accounting for much of its subsequent development and growth in the 20th century. The town war memorial to the First World War was erected in 1921 in the form of a granite column, designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, with casualties from the Second World War added in 1945. By 1965, the town had a population of just under 1,600 persons and could also accommodate 800 visitors in tourist accommodations. In 2015, the town celebrated its 250th anniversary with celebrations and a picnic involving foods eaten in the 18th century. In 2016, a charity fundraising event was held to honour the linen manufacturing history of the town.

Grantown-on-Spey economy & business

Accommodation

In Grantown on Spey there are various hotels, B&B’s and self-catering accommodation. There is a large caravan park at Grantown-on-Spey managed by the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Grantown-on-Spey landmarks

Museum and Notable Buildings.

Grantown Museum is located in Burnfield Avenue near one of the town’s car parks. In 1861, the Grantown Female School (Burnfield House) was built with funds from Captain John Grant, a factor of Strathspey. The school closed in 1890 when its pupils transferred to Grantown Grammar School and Burnfield House is now the home of the Grantown Museum. Adjacent to the museum is a Bell tower that holds the old town bell. The Speyside Orphanage (also known as the Speyside Charity/Free School) was established in 1795, with funds from Lady Grant of Monymusk. It was originally built by local builder John Russell but was damaged by fire and rebuilt in 1824, it closed in 1975. The building was converted to a heritage centre and then later to private flats in 1986. The building is Category A listed and has a small clock tower, with an electric public turret clock from 1975 (the earlier clock is in the town museum). The High Street and Square contain several notable examples of scottish baronial architecture and Georgian and Victorian era buildings. At the corner of 1 High Street and 1 The Square is a Category B listed former bank built by Matthews and Laurie. The building was purpose built in 1867 and originally housed the Caledonian Bank, later the Bank of Scotland and last remaining bank in Grantown, before finally closing in March 2021. Numbers 3 and 5 High Street is a turreted building that formerly contained the Town Post Office and the premises of A.C. Grant, formerly supplier of Tweeds to HM King George V. At 57 High Street is the Ben Mhor hotel, dating to the 1880s that was formerly the Temperance Hotel. The Strathspey Hotel (also called the Dunbar’s Hotel) is an early 19th century Category B listed former hotel building at 70/72 High Street that is now converted into homes. Hastilow’s Palace Hotel was a large former hotel with multiple dormer windows (built in 1894 on the site of the previous Black Bull Inn) on the High Street and is now a care home. The Grant Arms Hotel is a listed hotel on the Square which in its current form was primarily built in 1875, with substantial additions in the 1880s. The earlier hotel building was built in 1765 and on 4th September 1860 hosted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Garth Hotel on the Square dates back to 1769 when it was built for James Grant, clerk and factor to Sir James Grant as a private residence and was later converted to a hotel. Craiglynne Hotel is a late 19th century hotel on the western edge of the town on Woodlands Terrace. The Royal British Legion building on the Square is an Art Deco building that was formerly a cinema from the 1920’s to the early 1960s, before becoming a hall for the legion.

Community Facilities

Ian Charles Community Hospital is an NHS Scotland community hospital providing healthcare services in Grantown-on-Spey. Anagach Woods is located on the eastern edge of the town and has numerous waymarked trails. It is home to a Capercaillie population.

Churches

There are a number of churches in the town (none of which has a burial ground). Inverallan Parish Church (Church of Scotland) is located on Mossie Road. The current Inverallan church was rebuilt on the site of several earlier churches to a design by the architect Alexander Smith Cullen in 1886. The rebuilding was funded by Caroline Stuart, Countess of Seafield as a memorial to the death of her husband and son. The church is in Victorian Gothic in style and set out in a cruciform shape. The church incorporates details from the previous churches on the site, including carvings and woodwork from the 17th century. The Baptist church is at the junction of High Street and Chapel Road. A church in the High Street (opposite Dunstaffnage Brae) is shared by two congregations: Scottish Episcopalian (St Columba) Roman Catholic (St Anne), who advertise the location as Woodlands Crescent (postcode PH26 3EN).

Cemeteries

There are two local cemeteries, both of which are maintained by the Highland Council: Inverallan, the original burial ground which is now only available for use by holders of existing vacant lairs. Most older inscriptions have been transcribed and published in book form; memorials with no events after 1855 are mostly unrecorded in published 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. Official records for this burial ground were not started until the 1900s when the gravedigger retired and it was realised that he was then the only source of information regarding burials not indicated on the memorials; the current burial register was founded upon the information supplied by him thus only burials recorded since that time have details supplied contemporaneously by relatives or undertakers. 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 end from the A95 Grantown bypass.

You can visit Grantown-on-Spey, COUNTY/BOROUGH & use Walkfo to discover the best walking places with our free digital tour guide app created especially for Grantown-on-Spey. Walkfo Grantown-on-Spey has 300 locations with history, culture & travel facts, that you can explore the same way you can a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Grantown-on-Spey, being in the moment, without digital distraction and no limitations to a specific walking route – you choose where you want to go, when you want to go and Walkfo Grantown-on-Spey will keep up.

When you visit Grantown-on-Spey

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When you visit Grantown-on-Spey, Walkfo is your digital tour guide while exploring by foot, bike or bus. With numerous walks, hikes, tourist locations & travel destinations available in Grantown-on-Spey, our travel AI guide helps you get the best from your visit to Grantown-on-Spey & the surrounding areas. Our explore Grantown-on-Spey app for iPhone & Android, allows you to experience the hidden history, culture and amazing facts throughout Grantown-on-Spey whilst out walking. The digital tour guide creates interactive audio stories driven by where you walk, so you can exploration Grantown-on-Spey’s National Heritage sites, tourist attractions, historic locations or city streets freely, without the restrictions of a predefined walk & walk map.

“The Walkfo AI has curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 0 audio facts in Grantown-on-Spey alone that form an interactive Grantown-on-Spey walking map for you to explore.”

Best Grantown-on-Spey places to visit

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Grantown-on-Spey has hundreds of places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are five of Grantown-on-Spey’s best destinations to visit when exploring the area. We have condensed the information with much more detail available within Walkfo when you visit the destinations.

Visit Grantown-on-Spey plaques

Experience Grantown-on-Spey audio walks & tours

Visiting Grantown-on-Spey with Walkfo’s things to do interactive map
The “Grantown-on-Spey things to do map” below is a preview of the places you can visit in Grantown-on-Spey and surrounding areas with our digital audio tour guide app. Each spot has content for a plaque, a building, a street or general area, providing history, culture or tourism information the you can explore.

Interactive ‘Explore Grantown-on-Spey Map’     This Grantown-on-Spey tourism map shows points of interest within a 4km radius of Grantown-on-Spey centre

Walkfo App     Walkfo

Walkfo is free to download & use (for a limited time period), so if you are looking to explore Grantown-on-Spey, go to your App Store to search for “Walkfo” or follow a links below and install on your mobile phone. Walkfo is designed for use with headphones or AirPods, so you can walk & explore whilst learning about the things around you without digital distraction.

  Apple App Store

  Google Play Store

Things to do & visit in Grantown-on-Spey and surrounding areas

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Getting to / around Grantown-on-Spey – transport links, stations, streets & traffic map

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Getting around in Grantown-on-Spey using public transportation may include roads, streets, trains, undergrounds, buses or trams. Walkfo has the following important Grantown-on-Spey public transport locations with historic / cultural / factual content when you visit:

Grantown-on-Spey Notable Public Transport Stations		Grantown-on-Spey Notable Streets & Roads

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Attention local Grantown-on-Spey historians, tour guides & Grantown-on-Spey tourism agents