Strathspey, Scotland

{{Short description|Region of Scotland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2020}} [[File:Speyside Railway and River Spey - geograph.org.uk - 3331313.jpg|thumb|The Strathspey Railway running through Strathspey]] '''Strathspey''' ({{langx|gd|Srath Spè}}, {{IPA|gd|s̪t̪ɾa ˈs̪peː|}}) is a region of the Scottish Highlands comprising part of the valley of the Spey. It includes the towns of Aviemore, Boat of Garten, Grantown-on-Spey, and Aberlour.

Strathspey, as traditionally defined, stretches from Upper Craigellachie (near Aviemore) to Lower Craigellachie (near the village of the same name).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurehistory3259.html|title=River Spey (historical perspective)|publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland|accessdate=2024-10-15}}</ref> Above it is Badenoch and below it is the low-lying region of Speyside. The region is administratively divided between Moray and the Highland council area.

Speyside is one of the main centres of the Scotch whisky industry, with a high concentration of single malt distilleries in the region, including the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries. Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail is a tourism initiative featuring seven working Speyside distilleries, a historic distillery and the Speyside Cooperage. The concept was created in the early 1980s. The region is a natural for whisky distillers because of three benefits: it is close to barley farms, contains the River Spey and is close to the port of Garmouth.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20120417-exploring-scotlands-historic-whisky-trail|title=Exploring Scotland's Historic Whisky Trail|author=Celia Shatzman|date=2012-04-30|access-date=2020-01-08|publisher=BBC}}</ref> The region also hosts the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Deborah |title=Whisky festival comes of age with virtual festival for second year running |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19256142.whisky-festival-comes-age-virtual-festival-second-year-running/ |access-date=27 April 2021 |work=HeraldScotland |date=24 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==Twin towns== * Grantown-on-Spey, the capital of Strathspey, is twinned with Notre-Dame-de-Monts, Vendée, France * Speyside, the area downriver from Grantown-on-Spey, is twinned with Touques, Calvados, France

== Notable residents == * John Robert Grant (1729–1790), a Loyalist officer during the American Revolution and refugee settler in Summerville, Nova Scotia. * Fr. Allan MacDonald (1859-1905), a Roman Catholic priest and highly important figure in modern Scottish Gaelic literature, had family roots in Strathspey. * Iain Ruadh Stiùbhart (1700–1752), Jacobite Army officer and war poet during the rising of 1745.

==See also== {{wikivoyage|Strathspey}} *Speyside single malts *Strathspey (dance) *Strathspey Railway

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Scottish provinces|major}} {{coord|57|19|N|3|36|W|region:GB-MRY_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title}}

Category:Glens of Scotland Category:Badenoch and Strathspey Category:Moray Category:Landforms of Moray Category:Valleys of Highland (council area)