Kingston, Moray

Kingston on Spey Scottish Gaelic: Dalachaidh Uarach
Kingston, as seen from Spey Bay
Kingston on Spey Location within Moray
OS grid reference	NJ3662
Council area	Moray
Lieutenancy area	Moray
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey
Scottish Parliament	Moray Highlands and Islands
List of places UK Scotland 57°40′29″N3°06′42″W / 57.6746058883°N 3.111775523053°W / 57.6746058883; -3.111775523053

Kingston on Spey is a small coastal village in Moray, Scotland. It is situated immediately north of Garmouth at the western side of the mouth of the River Spey on the coast of the Moray Firth. Kingston was founded in 1784 and was named after Kingston upon Hull, in East Yorkshire.

History

Kingston's past includes a large shipbuilding industry started in the 18th century by two men from Kingston upon Hull, who named the village after their home town. ^[1] The shipbuilding industry used an enormous amount of timber from the local surrounding forests.

The shipbuilding industry died off partly due to wooden ships being replaced by iron ones.

Furthermore, the course of the River Spey was always changing, bringing stones down river and silting up the shipbuilding areas. ^[2] In 1829, some of the village homes were lost in a great flood, the "Muckle Spate". ^[3]

Nature

Because of the dolphins, salmon, otters, osprey, seals and numerous waterfowl and other birds to be seen in the area, Kingston attracts birdwatchers and other nature enthusiasts. In addition to the Speyside Way, there are footpaths along the Lein, Burnside, the Browlands towards the village of Garmouth, the Spey Viaduct, and the local stone beaches. The Garmouth & Kingston Golf Club is located between the two villages.

Notable people

• Isabel Turner (1936–2021), Canadian politician, was born in Kingston

See also

• Garmouth railway station - a station that once served the area.

References

1. Mackay, George (2009). Scottish Placenames. London: Gresham Publishing Company Limited, The. p. 108. ISBN   1902407873.
2. Lindsay, Ann (2006). Hidden Scotland. Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 51. ISBN   1841583480.
3. "The late storm in Scotland". The Times. No. 13990. 12 August 1829. p. 2. OCLC   646880228. The damage done to heritable as well as landed property in Garmouth and its neighbourhood is painfully immense. A considerable number of houses are entirely destroyed, while a great many others are irreparably injured.