Carrbridge
Encyclopedia
Carrbridge is a village in Badenoch and Strathspey
in the Scottish Highlands
. It lies off the A9 road
on the A938 road, west of Skye of Curr
, southeast of Findhom Bridge, near Bogroy
.It has the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands and nearby ancient pine forest contains the Landmark Forest Adventure Park.
and forms a gateway to the Cairngorms National Park
. It was an early centre for skiing
in Scotland. In the 2001 census the village had a population of 708 people, with the majority employed in tourism
.
Until the 1980s bypass was constructed, the A9 road ran straight through the village. Carrbridge is served by Carrbridge railway station
on the Highland Main Line
.
Local debate still rages regarding the name Carrbridge itself, with some preferring to see it hyphenated to Carr-bridge. The word "Carr" has nothing to do with motorised transport but is derived from the Gaelic word for boggy area.
Carrbridge's most famous landmark is the old packhorse bridge
, from which the village is named. The bridge, built in 1717, is the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. It was severely damaged in the "muckle spate
" of 1829 which left it in the condition seen today. It is now unstable and is recommended only to be viewed from afar. Jumping off the bridge into the River Dulnain below had long been a popular pastime for younger locals and the more adventurous tourists.
Landmark Forest Adventure Park is set in an ancient pine forest at the south end of the village. It has a variety of attractions, including a wild water coaster, steam powered saw mill and the UK's first nature trail, Treetop Trail.
There has been a Boys' Brigade
campsite in the village for many years.
World Porridge Making Championship and the "Carve Carrbridge" Scottish Open Chainsaw Carving
Competition. Both contests offer keen but friendly competition, drawing entrants and spectators from all over Scotland.
Throughout the year, many events are held by Carrbridge Community Arts, a dynamic and innovative local community group, which include Music, Art, Theatre, Celebrations and Festivals.
claiming that the Corporation constantly got the weather wrong which was putting off tourists. Local businesses claimed that BBC weather reports on television and on their website constantly reported rain despite there being no rain whatsoever. Locals stated that the BBC generalised the weather to "rain in Scotland". Carrbridge became a minor celebrity with the story appearing on national news networks and the quiz show Have I Got News For You
.
League and in local cup competitions. They won the League in 1986 and 2008, but were unable to field a team in 2009 & 2010. Their home ground is in the centre of the village (next to the main car park) and their home colours are black & white vertical stripes.
Golfers are catered for with a challenging 9-hole golf course. The village also has a pony trekking centre and a bowling green.
, greenshank
s, oystercatchers, lapwings and others. On the nature trail in Landmark Forest Adventure Park, there is a special feeding area that attracts Pine Wood birds and the Red squirrel
- endangered in most of the country due to competition from the introduced Grey Squirrel
. Around the area, there are rarely seen Golden Eagles on the mountains and Peregrine Falcons are more common. Ospreys fly to their summer home in Loch Garten and Red Deer
are commonly seen.
Badenoch and Strathspey
Badenoch and Strathspey as a local government district 1975 to 1996Badenoch and Strathspey is a local government ward of the Highland council area and a ward management area of the Highland Council in Scotland...
in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. It lies off the A9 road
A9 road
The A9 is a major road running from the Falkirk council area in central Scotland to Thurso in the far north, via Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Perth and Inverness. At 273 miles , it is the longest road in Scotland and the fifth-longest A-road in the United Kingdom...
on the A938 road, west of Skye of Curr
Skye of Curr
Skye of Curr is a hamlet, situated 3 miles southwest of Grantown-on-Spey, in the Scottish Highlands of Scotland and is in the council area of Highland....
, southeast of Findhom Bridge, near Bogroy
Bogroy
Bogroy is a small crofting village, located 0.5 miles northwest of Carrbridge, in Strathspey, in the county of Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. It lies off the A9 road on the A938 road, west of Skye of Curr, east of Findhom Bridge and northwest...
.It has the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands and nearby ancient pine forest contains the Landmark Forest Adventure Park.
Geography
Carrbridge is about 10 km north of AviemoreAviemore
Aviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm...
and forms a gateway to the Cairngorms National Park
Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms National Park is a national park in north east Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, set up in 2002. The park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains, and...
. It was an early centre for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
in Scotland. In the 2001 census the village had a population of 708 people, with the majority employed in tourism
Tourism in Scotland
Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4bn per year. Tourists from the United Kingdom make up the bulk of visitors to Scotland...
.
Until the 1980s bypass was constructed, the A9 road ran straight through the village. Carrbridge is served by Carrbridge railway station
Carrbridge railway station
Carrbridge railway station is a railway station serving the village of Carrbridge, Highland, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Highland Main Line, 44 km south east of Inverness.- History :...
on the Highland Main Line
Highland Main Line
The Highland Main Line is a railway line in Scotland. It is long and runs through the Scottish Highlands linking a series of small towns and villages with Perth at one end and Inverness at the other. Today, services between Inverness and Edinburgh, Glasgow and London use the line...
.
Local debate still rages regarding the name Carrbridge itself, with some preferring to see it hyphenated to Carr-bridge. The word "Carr" has nothing to do with motorised transport but is derived from the Gaelic word for boggy area.
Attractions
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
, from which the village is named. The bridge, built in 1717, is the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. It was severely damaged in the "muckle spate
Muckle Spate (1829)
The Muckle Spate was a great flood in August 1829, which devastated much of Strathspey, in the north east of Scotland.It began raining on the evening of 2 August 1829, and continued into the next day when a thunderstorm broke over the Cairngorms. To the south, the River Dee rose rapidly above its...
" of 1829 which left it in the condition seen today. It is now unstable and is recommended only to be viewed from afar. Jumping off the bridge into the River Dulnain below had long been a popular pastime for younger locals and the more adventurous tourists.
Landmark Forest Adventure Park is set in an ancient pine forest at the south end of the village. It has a variety of attractions, including a wild water coaster, steam powered saw mill and the UK's first nature trail, Treetop Trail.
There has been a Boys' Brigade
Boys' Brigade
For the 80s New Wave band from Canada, see Boys Brigade .The Boys' Brigade is an interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values...
campsite in the village for many years.
Events in the village
The village plays host to two popular annual competitions: The Golden SpurtleSpurtle
The spurtle is a Scots kitchen tool, dating from at least the fifteenth century. It was originally a flat, wooden, spatula-like utensil, used for flipping oatcakes on a hot griddle....
World Porridge Making Championship and the "Carve Carrbridge" Scottish Open Chainsaw Carving
Chainsaw Carving
The art of chainsaw carving is a fast-growing form of art that combines the modern technology of the chainsaw with the ancient art of woodcarving.- The beginning of the art form :...
Competition. Both contests offer keen but friendly competition, drawing entrants and spectators from all over Scotland.
Throughout the year, many events are held by Carrbridge Community Arts, a dynamic and innovative local community group, which include Music, Art, Theatre, Celebrations and Festivals.
In the news
In 2009 the village took on the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
claiming that the Corporation constantly got the weather wrong which was putting off tourists. Local businesses claimed that BBC weather reports on television and on their website constantly reported rain despite there being no rain whatsoever. Locals stated that the BBC generalised the weather to "rain in Scotland". Carrbridge became a minor celebrity with the story appearing on national news networks and the quiz show Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
.
Sport
The village has its own football (soccer) team, Carr-bridge FC which plays in the Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare FAStrathspey & Badenoch Welfare FA
The Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare Football Association is the governing body overseeing amateur Scottish Welfare football in the Badenoch and Strathspey area of Scotland. It is affiliated to Scottish Welfare FA and Scottish Football Association and has been running intermittently since its...
League and in local cup competitions. They won the League in 1986 and 2008, but were unable to field a team in 2009 & 2010. Their home ground is in the centre of the village (next to the main car park) and their home colours are black & white vertical stripes.
Golfers are catered for with a challenging 9-hole golf course. The village also has a pony trekking centre and a bowling green.
Wildlife
The surrounding area is a veritable garden of eden for bird and wildlife watchers. The local pine forests are home to crossbills, rare crested tits, red squirrels and deer. While nearby areas provide summer habitats for snipeSnipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
, greenshank
Greenshank
The Common Greenshank is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. Its closest relative is the Greater Yellowlegs, together with which and the Spotted Redshank it forms a close-knit group...
s, oystercatchers, lapwings and others. On the nature trail in Landmark Forest Adventure Park, there is a special feeding area that attracts Pine Wood birds and the Red squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
- endangered in most of the country due to competition from the introduced Grey Squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
. Around the area, there are rarely seen Golden Eagles on the mountains and Peregrine Falcons are more common. Ospreys fly to their summer home in Loch Garten and Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
are commonly seen.