Craigellachie, Moray

Craigellachie (Gaelic: Creag Eileachaidh) is a small village in Moray, Scotland, at the confluence of the River Spey and River Fiddich (whose valley or glen gives its name to the famous Scotch whisky Glenfiddich), in walking distance of the town of Aberlour.

The name means "rocky hill" and was first applied to the cliff on which much of the village is sited, above the River Spey. Craigellachie dates back to at least 1750, when there was a ferry across the Spey where today's village now stands. It also stands at the intersection of the A95 from Keith to Aberlour and the A941 from Rothes to Dufftown.

Craigellachie has two malt whisky distilleries (Craigellachie and The Macallan) and is home to the Speyside Cooperage.

Craigellachie Bridge over the River Spey was built by Thomas Telford in 1814. A plaque on one of the castellated towers guarding the entrance to the bridge records that the metalwork was cast in Wales: another that the bridge was restored to this, something like its original condition, in 1964. The bridge is a remarkable piece of engineering, and can be viewed from above or below.

Craigellachie is an important stopping off point on the Speyside Way, a long distance path from Buckie in the north to Aviemore in the south.

The bridge at Craighellachie

Places of interest

Notable places in Craigellachie include the Fiddichside Inn, Highlander Inn, as well as the Craigellachie Hotel. A notable nearby sight is Balvenie Castle. Many distilleries are in the area and available for touring, including most notably, The Macallan, Aberlour, Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet.

Craigellachie Golf Club (now defunct) first appeared 1898 – the club continued until the late 1930s.^[1]

Name connection

Craigellachie, British Columbia, is named after the Scottish village and is the place where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven in November 1885.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Craigellachie, Moray.

• Census data
• grid reference NJ288451
• Stand Fast, Craig Ellachie! from Picturesque Scotland by Francis Watt M.A. and the Rev. Andrew Carter M.A.

Coordinates: 57°29′24″N 3°11′13″W / 57.490°N 3.187°W / 57.490; -3.187

Places in Moray
Achnastank Aberlour Alves Archiestown Arradoul Auchbreck Auchindoun Auchnarrow Auchenhalrig Aultmore Backlands Ballindalloch Bogmoor Branderburgh Broadley Buckie Burghead Burniestrype Cabrach Chapeltown Clochan College of Roseisle Craigellachie Cullen Cummingston Dallas Darnaway Deskford Dipple Drummuir Drybridge Dufftown Duffus Dyke Elgin Farmtown Findhorn Findochty Fochabers Forres Fogwatt Garmouth Glass Hopeman Ianstown Inchberry Keith Kellas Kingston Kinloss Knockando Lhanbryde Longmorn Lossiemouth Maggieknockater Miltonduff Mosstodloch Nether Dallachy Newmill Ordiquish Portessie Portgordon Portknockie Rathven Rafford Rothes Rothiemay Spey Bay Strathlene Stotfield Tomintoul Unthank Upper Dallachy Urquhart