Ruthven Barracks

Originally the site of a castle since the 13th Century the castle had been constructed in a much larger scale in 1459, however by the 1689 uprising, the Jacobite leader Viscount Dundee and his troops burned the Castle to the ground as it garrisoned soldiers who supported the reigning monarchs William and Mary.Built between 1719 and 1721, Ruthven Barracks were one of four fortified barracks built after the Jacobite risings of 1715 by the British government in the hopes of controlling the supporters of the Stewart claim to the throne. It was in February of 1746 that Jacobite troops torched the barracks.

Situated beside the A9 near Kingussie, the Barracks are a dramatic yet familiar landmark to many a traveller on the road which connects the Highlands to the south.

Although only the exterior of the buildings remain they are very atmospheric and on the day I visited I could almost imagine the troops carrying out their drills in the courtyard.

The constrasting greys of the stonework and  sky shadowing Ruthven only heightened how imposing the ruins actually are.

18/10/2009