Monarch of the Glen used locations throughout the area, but most of the filming was done in the south of the area, known as Badenoch - a corruption from the somewhat unfortunate Gaelic for 'drowned land'. This is not so much a reflection on the annual rainfall - which is at the very least, far less than Fort William's, for example, but more a consequence of the wide and flat flood plains which extend either side of the River between Laggan and Newtonmore and between Kingussie and KIncraig which, when the River is in flood can turn into giant, if temporary lochs. The landscapes which add so much to the stunning visual experience of Monarch of the Glen can be experienced by anyone who cares to visit the area - and you never know - with a second series now looking almost certain, you might even bump into one of the stars, or drive round a corner and find a film crew in full swing - experiences which most of us here in Badenoch encountered often during 1999.

Badenoch's position 'at the Heart of the Highlands' is reinforced by the fact that Newtonmore is reputed by some to be the nearest town to the geographical centre of Scotland - marked, it is claimed, by a stone on the side of Loch Ericht, just a few miles away. In fact, Ordnance Survey put the geographic centre as on the northern slopes of Scheihallion, some twenty-odd miles away as the crow flies, but Newtonmore is this year justly establishing its credentials as 'The Walking Centre of Scotland' with a new information point opening in the town to inform visitors about walking routes and trails, both near at hand (of which there are many) and throughout Scotland. The area's proximity to most of the Munros in Scotland, and Newtonmore's position at the meeting of the A9 north and the A86 to the west makes it, from a traveller's viewpoint at least, unquestionably central.