Whilst the history of the Badenoch and Strathspey area is very old and goes back many centuries you do not have to go far to find evidence of it. To the rear of Croftcarnoch Farmhouse is part of the road created by General Wade after the first Jacobite Rebellion and between 1725 and 1737 Wade oversaw the construction of some 250 miles of road plus 40 bridges – including behind our very own farmhouse.
The site where the ruins of Ruthven Barracks stands outside Kingussie had been a prestigious site in the centuries before and Wade created a Barracks there instead. On the day after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 many of the defeated Jacobites assembled there with Lord George Murray with the intention of fighting on.
On hearing from Bonnie Prince Charlie that each man should save himself the best he could they set fire to the barracks and dispersed. What visitors see today is pretty much what was left by the departing Jacobites.
Whilst the reputation of Bonnie Prince Charlie fluctuates the myth endures and with the advent of programmes like “Outlander” this Jacobean history remains of keen interest to the traveller to the Highlands. Battles are re-enacted, historic sites get better visitor centres – but at the heart of it all, the great thing about history in the Highlands it is there in front of you. At Croftcarnoch we are surrounded by history and on a quiet night you might be forgiven for still hearing the sound of horses and a troop of men marching on the road behind you!
Be part of a historic stay at Croftcarnoch Farmhouse