KINGUSSIE, a parish, in the county of Inverness,
5 a mile (E. by N.) from Pitmain; containing, with part
of the former quoad sacra parish of Insh, the villages of
Kingussie and Newtonmore, and the hamlet of Ralia,
2047 inhabitants, of whom 460 are in the village of
Kingussie. This place is of remote antiquity, and derives
its name, in the Celtic language Ceannghiubhsakhe,
from the situation of its ancient church at the head of a
wood of firs, of which that term is significant. The
whole of the lordship of Badenoch, in the centre of
which this parish lies, originally belonged to the Cumyns,
Earls of Badenoch and Buchan, of whom John, the first
lord of Badenoch, laid claim to the throne of Scotland
on the death of Alexander III. in 1285. As superior
baron of the kingdom, he was summoned by Edward I.
of England to attend him in his wars in Gascony. Upon
his death, he was succeeded by his son, John, who, after
a continued struggle to maintain the independence of his
country, in which he obtained a victory over the English
at Roslin, was compelled, subsequently to the battle of
Stirling, to yield to the superior power of Edward. At
the succession of Bruce to the crown of Scotland in
1306, the lord of Badenoch became a victim to the resentment
of that king; and the lordship was included
among the lands which Bruce erected into the earldom
of Moray in 1314, and bestowed upon his nephew, Randolph.
The earldom continued in the possession of that
family till the year 13*1, about which time it became
the property of the Stuarts, of whom Robert, the first
Stuart who ascended the throne of Scotland, conferred
it on his son, Alexander, in whose favour he revived the
title of lord of Badenoch. Alexander, who, from the
ferocity of his character, was styled the Wolf of Badenoch,
resided chiefly in the castle of Ruthven, in this
parish, the ancient seat of the Cumyns, a strong fortress
situated on the banks of the river Spey. Here, in perfect
security, and presuming upon his connexion with
the crown, he exercised despotic tyranny over his vassals,
and spread terror and dismay throughout the adjacent
districts. Upon his death, about the year 1394, the
lordship descended to his son, who was the last of the
Stuarts connected with the earldom of Moray, which
subsequently passed to the first Earl of Huntly, upon
whom the lordship of Badenoch was conferred by James
II., in reward of his services at the battle of Brechin in
1452. The site of Ruthven Castle, the seat of the lords
of Badenoch, was occupied by barracks erected soon
after the rebellion in 1*15, to keep the inhabitants in
check; and in 1745, the garrison stationed here, with
the exception of a Serjeant and twelve privates who were
left for the protection of the buddings, accompanied Sir
John Cope on his march to the battle of Presfonpans.
Duriug their absence the barracks were defended by this
small party against a body of 200 insurgents; and in the
following year, they sustained a violent assault for three
days from 300 of the rebels, under Gordon of Glenbucket,
to whom the force surrendered on terms of
honourable capitulation. The barracks were soon afterwards
burnt by the insurgents, and are now a heap of ruins.
The PARISH, which is bounded on the south by the
Grampian hills, is about twenty-one miles in length
from east to west, and nearly eighteen miles in breadth;
but, from the extreme irregularity of its form, and the
great inequality of the surface, it has been found impossible
to ascertain its superficial extent with any
degree of accuracy. Its surface is strikingly varied,
and even the lowest grounds have an elevation of 850
feet above the level of the sea. In the northern portion,
the mountains of Monadhliadh stretch for a considerable
distance along the boundary; and from their base the
lands gradually subside into an extensive vale, beyond
which they as gradually ascend towards the Grampians
on the south. The principal river is the Spey, which
has its source in a small lake of that name in the parish
of Laggan, and, winding in an eastern course through
the open and fertile valley previously noticed, for more
than seven miles, flows into Loch lush at the eastern
extremity of the parish, whence taking a more northern
direction, it falls into the Moray Firth at Garmouth.
The river Truiin forms part of the western boundary of
the parish; it has its source in the forest of Drumuachter,
near the Grampians, and flowing northward, joins the
Spey. The Tromie, which separates this parish from the
district of Insh on the east, rises to the south of the parish,
and running northward through the glen to which
it gives name, falls into the Spey near Old Milton. The
Calder, which has its source in the mountains to the
north, and the Gynag, which issues from a small lake
of that name, both take a southern course, and flow into
the Spey. There are also numerous lakes, but few of
them exceed a mile and a half in length and three-quarters
of a mile in width. In Loch Gynag is a small island,
on which may still be traced the vestiges of what is
supposed to have been a castle: nothing, however, of
its history is recorded. About six miles of Loch Ericht
are likewise within the boundaries of the parish; but
the shores are altogether destitute of beauty or variety,
with the exception of a small portion near the southern
extremity of the parish, where the banks are rather
steep, aud in some parts fringed with trees. Salmon,
and char for some weeks in October, are found in the
Spey; and trout and pike in the smaller rivers aud
lakes. The forest of Gaick, though almost destitute of
wood, contains numerous herds of deer, and is much
frequented by sportsmen.
In the meadows, and along the banks of the Spey and
its tributaries, the soil is deep and fertile. The valley
thro\igh which the Spey flows is especially rich, and in
good cultivation,' constituting almost the only arable
land in the ])arish, the hills and uplands being generally
heathy, ada|)ted merely for pasture, and portioned out in
sheep-walks. The crops are oats and barley, with other
kinds of produce; but not more grain is raiseil than is
suflicient for supplying the parish. In general the system
of husbandry is improved, and a due rotation of crops
is regularly observed; considerable portions of waste
land have been reclaimed by draining and embanking,
and the farm-buildings of the larger holders are substantial
and commodious. The sheep reared are of the
black-faced breed, with a few of the Cheviot on the
lower lands; the cattle are all of the common Highland
breed, with some of the Ayrshire kind for the dairy,
and the greatest attention is paid to their improvement.
Though formerly the face of the country was covered
with wood, and a very large forest of fir reached almost to
the village, there are but small remains of ancient timber.
The plantations, chiefly of recent growth, consist of
fir and larch, interspersed with mountain-ash and oak,
for which the soil is well adapted. Alder, hazel, and
birch appear to be indigenous, especially the last, with
which the rising grounds on the south bank of the Spey
are extensively covered. The prevailing rocks throughout
the parish are quartz, felspar, and mica-slate: there
are neither mines nor quarries in operation. Specimens
of silver and lead ore have been found in the river
Gynag, but in very small quantity; and some years
since, silver ore was discovered and for a time worked
at no great distance from the village. The annual value
of real property in the parish is £4626.
The village of Kingussie stands on the north bank of
the river Spey; the inhabitants are chiefly employed in
the handicraft trades requisite for the supply of the
neighbourhood, and there ai-e several shops amply stored
with various kinds of merchandise. A public library is
supported by subscription, forming a collection of about
300 volumes on history and general literature. The
post-office has a daily delivery, both from the north and
south parts of the kingdom; and facility of communication
is maintained by good roads, of which the great
Highland road from Perth to Inverness passes for sixteen
miles through the parish; and by bridges over the
ditferent rivers, kept in excellent repair. Fairs, chiefly
for cattle and for hiring servants, are held in the village
on the last Tuesday in May, the Friday in the week after
the Falkirk tryst in September, and the Friday before
the Falkirk tryst in October; and markets for cattle
and for general business are held monthly, on Tuesday,
from April to November. A building was erected in the
village in 1806, which contains a neat court-room for
the meetings of the magistrates for the district, and a
small prison for the temporary confinement of offenders
till their commitment to the county gaol. Ecclesiastically
the parish is within the limits of the presbytery of
Abernethy, synod of Moray. The minister's stipend is
£269. 18., with an allowance of £50 in lieu of a manse;
aud the glebe, which has been greatly improved by the
incumbent, is valued at £50 per annum: patron, the
Duke of Richmond. Kingussie church, which is situated
on a wooded eminence in the village, was fully
repaired a few years ago, and contains 900 sittings. The
members of the Free Church have a place of worship.
The parochial school is well attended; the master has a
salary of £34, with a good house, an allowance in lieu
of garden, and fees averaging about £20. There are
some slight remains of Druidical circles, and vestiges of
a Roman camp: in clearing the ground n(?ar the latter,
a Roman urn containing a.shes, and a tripod, were found
a few years since, and both are carefully preserved.
There are also vestiges of an ancient building said to
have been a priory, and a monastery once existed in the
parish; but little of the history of either is known.