Grantown on Spey
Grantown on Spey Baile nan Granndach | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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County | |||
Inverness-shire • Moray | |||
Highway Authority | |||
Highland | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
A95 | |||
Places related to the A95 | |||
Places related to the A939 | |||
Grantown on Spey, commonly referred to as just Grantown is a sizeable town in Strathspey. The town was a planned town built by the local Laird in the mid 18th Century, with the main streets being laid out on a grid iron pattern. Created as an estate village for Castle Grant, it developed into a popular resort in the Victorian era, with hunting and fishing in the local area drawing many wealthy people. More recently, it has remained popular with tourists, being close to the winter sports resort of Aviemore, and also the famous Speyside distilliries to the east.
The main road through the town was the old Speyside road, built in part at least by Thomas Telford as part of his commission on Highland roads and bridges This crossed the even older military road built by Major Caulfeild in the 1750s. This crossed the hills to the south to Strathdon and Deeside, and also to the north to Fort George near Inverness. The modern incarnations of these routes are the A95 which bypasses Grantown itself as it follows the river. The A939 loosely follows the military road, and partly follows the old route of the A95 through the town. The River Spey was previously crossed by the Old Speybridge, built for the military road and used by Telford to carry his road over the river. It was replaced, however, in the 1930s by the New Speybridge, a majestic single span across the river.
The B9102 starts in the town, initially at the west end, following the old line of the A95, and then continuing east up the north bank of the Spey. On the south side of the river, the B970 starts its long journey south, also following the valley of the Spey, to Kingussie. In the past, the B970 has also travelled south over the A939 route to Deeside, but this was quickly upgraded to be an A road.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Perth, Inverness (A9), Aviemore (B9152) | ||
Elgin (A941), Keith (A96), Aberlour | ||
Carrbridge, Skye of Curr, Dulnain Bridge | ||
Nairn, Forres (A940) | Highland Tourist Route | |
Braemar (A93), Tomintoul | Highland Tourist Route. Was B970 | |
Coylumbridge, Nethy Bridge | ||
Craigellachie Scenic route, Archiestown |