King Charles will visit Tomintoul this week to learn more about the history of the rural community and efforts to keep it alive.
The tiny Cairngorm village is one of the highest in Scotland at an altitude 1,130ft with a population that has dwindled from nearly 2,000 to about 750 over the last 200 years.
About 10 years ago the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust was formed to fight an economic decline in the area.
This week King Charles will visit Tomintoul to learn more about efforts to preserve the area’s past while building a sustainable future.
The monarch is currently staying at Balmoral as part of the royal family’s traditional visit to their private home in Scotland.
Housing and heritage drive in Tomintoul
During his visit to the village on Wednesday King Charles will visit the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Disovery Centre.
The building was previously known as the Tomintoul Museum until it was saved from closure by the community in 2017.
It has since underwent a significant refurbishment since being transferred from Moray Council to locals and now includes the village post office and a food larder.
Attractions inside the building include a whisky-inspired virtual reality exhibit and the history of the Tomintoul Coat, which dates from the 1820s and one belonged to a customs officer on the trail of illegal whisky smugglers.
The King will then visit an affordable housing project on the site of the village’s former secondary school.
Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust has secured grants to buy the land from Moray Council for 12 affordable houses.
It is hoped the investment will give families the opportunity to stay in the area, instead of being forced to look elsewhere, as well as attracting people to the area.
Read more about the King’s visit: Cheering crowds welcome King Charles to Tomintoul on visit to one of Scotland’s highest villages
Cheering crowds welcome King Charles to Tomintoul on visit to one of Scotland’s highest villages
