Newtonmore, located at the south end of Badenoch and Strathspey, on the upper reaches of the River Spey, lies 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Kingussie, 46 miles (74 km) from Fort William on the west coast, 46 miles (74 km) from Inverness to the north, and 38 miles (61 km) from Pitlochry to the south and is a quiet and traditional village, with excellent hotels and guest houses which offers an excellent base for touring of the Scottish Highlands.
Prior to the early 19th Century, there was no village on record at Newtonmore but with the construction of the Spey Bridge in 1756, the bulk of the traffic by-passed Ruthven, where a ferry had to be used to reach Kingussie and a few houses were built along the north side of the new road between the River Calder and Allt Laraidh. After the Highland Clearances of the early 1800s a new hamlet grew in the area and went by the name of Strone-muir, but by 1828, the town had adopted the name of Newtown-more meaning 'the new town on the moor'.
Attractions in the area include the Highland Folk Park, the Highland Folk Museum, the Clan Macpherson Museum, General Wade's Roads, The Black Officer's House and The Glen Townships. Newtonmore is also noted for its Wildcat Experience - a collection of brightly-decorated ceramic cats hidden throughout the village and launched in 2010. The Waltzing Waters opened in 1989 and the light and water show quickly became a popular attraction with passing tour buses, but closed in 2011.
