Beauly or Kingussie: Which Is Better Value?
Beauly averages £270,000 against £265,000 in Kingussie, a gap of £5,000 or 2%. You would need £500 more deposit and about £26 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Both charge the same Band D council tax.
Beauly averages £270,000 against £265,000 in Kingussie, a gap of £5,000 or 2%. You would need £500 more deposit and about £26 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Both charge the same Band D council tax.
Price and deposit
The headline gap is £5,000, or 2%. On a 10% deposit that is £500 more cash to find before you start. Detached homes average £300,000 against £285,000.
Beauly against Kingussie
Town guides for each: Mortgage advice in Beauly and Mortgage advice in Kingussie.
Schools and families
Scottish schools are inspected by Education Scotland without a single overall grade, so the choice turns on catchment and the latest inspection reports.
A strong catchment in the cheaper town can cost more than an average street in the dearer one. Compare catchments, not averages.
Running costs and getting to work
Both towns sit under the same authority, so Band D council tax is £1,634 either way.
The honest verdict
Kingussie is cheaper to buy on these figures.
Neither is right in the abstract. If the deposit is your constraint, the £500 difference matters more than anything else here. If catchment is the constraint, price follows the school you need.
What each town is actually like
Price is one axis. These are the things people move for, and the things they find out afterwards.
Beauly
In its favour- A beautiful, desirable Aird village with a priory, a square and a salmon river
- A genuinely fast link to Inverness, ~15 to 20 min by train, ~20 to 25 min by road
- Raigmore's full A&E only ~13 miles away, a real advantage over the far north
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept
- Premium prices, dearer than the far-north towns, with competitive demand
- Limited stock at times, good homes can go quickly, so be ready to move
- Some older stone-built stock needs a survey
- Scottish Water is a separate charge (~£652 at Band D); many homes are higher-banded
Best for Inverness commuters ★★★★★
About 13 miles west of Inverness, 20 to 25 minutes by road, and a direct train from Beauly's own station in around 15 to 20 minutes; one of the best commuter villages in the Highlands.
Kingussie
In its favour- A real Cairngorms town with its own primary and secondary schools
- An excellent Highland Main Line railway to Inverness and the cities
- Shinty, Ruthven Barracks and the Highland Folk Museum, real identity and history
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept
- Premium National Park prices, local affordability is a genuine strain
- No full A&E in the town, the major A&E is Raigmore in Inverness (~45 miles)
- Second-home and holiday-let demand competes with local buyers
- Scottish Water is a separate charge (~£652 at Band D), and a second-home premium applies
Best for Cairngorms & outdoor lovers ★★★★★
The Cairngorms National Park on the doorstep, walking, Munro-bagging, biking, wildlife and the whole of Strathspey, with a real town at its heart.
Beauly and Kingussie, side by side
| Measure | Beauly | Kingussie |
|---|---|---|
| Average property price | £270,000 | £265,000 |
| Average detached | £300,000 | £285,000 |
| 10% deposit | £27,000 | £26,500 |
| Illustrative monthly payment | £1,421 | £1,394 |
| Band D council tax | £1,634 | £1,634 |
Local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own figures before acting.
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Questions people ask
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