Our History

On the 8th October 1861 the Duke Of Gordon Hotel was honoured by a visit from Queen Victoria and her devoted consort Prince Albert. During her expedition to the Highlands Her Majesty recorded the incident in her personal diary thus: We drove along the road over several bridges…. Close below the ruined Castle of Ruthven, which we could just descry in the dusk and on a long wooden bridge over the Spey to an Inn at Kingussie, a very straggly place, with very few cottages. Already, before we arrived there, we were struck by people standing at their cottage doors, and evidently looking out, which made us believe we were expected. Grant and Brown kept them off the carriages, and gave them evasive answers, directing them to the wrong carriage, which was most amusing. One old gentleman with a high wide-awake (a type of hat) was especially inquisitive.