A village in the Badenoch district of Highland Council Area, Kincraig lies within a predominantly wooded landscape on the River Spey 5½ miles (9 km) southwest of Aviemore and 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Kingussie. The village lies next the A9 Trunk Road and the Highland Railway. The village developed after the coming of the railway at a locality known as Boat of Insh, reflecting a ferry that crossed the Spey here. Boat of Insh railway station opened with the line in 1863, was renamed Kincraig in 1871 but closed in 1965. The name came from the nearby Kincraig House and estate. The picturesque Insh Church dates from 1792, but lies on the site of an earlier church which was dedicated to St. Adamnan. Alvie Free Church was once located at Milehead, to the northeast of the village, but is now a private residence. Kincraig developed further in the 1950s through the construction of semi-detached public housing blocks (now sold under right-to-buy legislation) at the northeastern end of the Victorian village, with further development beyond in the early 21st C. The village gained a new community hall in 1994 but lost its post office and shop in 2016. It retains two small hotels, both built as private houses in the late 19th C., and Alvie Primary School is situated at Baldow on the northern edge of the village. The Speyside Way was extended from Aviemore to Kincraig in 2015, following the railway for much of the route. Loch Insh lies immediately to the south, with the Insh Marshes National Nature Reserve beyond. The Loch Insh Watersports Centre and Lagganlia Centre for Outdoor Education both lie to the southeast, while the Highland Wildlife Park is located 2 miles (3 km) to the southwest.
