BB | Vist Forres

Up Cluny Hill: Nelson’s Tower and the view that started it all

Nelson’s Tower and the View That Started It All Make sure to put on sensible shoes for a trip up Cluny Hill. There is a bit of a climb involved, though nothing too arduous. Allow ten or fifteen minutes to make your way through the woods, past the lime trees and perhaps a red squirrel

Grant Park: The town’s front garden and a legacy from Sir Alexander Grant

This is an easy enough walk through a large green space, but with each step, there’s a story that you might otherwise miss. This park at the heart of Forres IS the heart of the town and equally demonstrates the heart of a local boy who moved away, made his fortune and came back to

Randolph’s Leap: Gorge yourself on this improbable tale

The story behind Randolph’s Leap is a misnomer. As you’ll discover, in the story of a chase between two fighting families, the jumper was Alexander Cumming, and Randolph likely stayed on the bank, and watched his target escape into the woods. The story is one of the most famous in the area, and the history

Roseisle – woodland, beach, and space

There is a quiet satisfaction to be had at Roseisle, one of the Moray coast’s more rewarding spots. A walk through the coastal forest will in time open up, with little fanfare, onto an expanse of beach. It is a landscape that begs to be repeated: forest, then beach, and so on. The transitions are

Get lost (on purpose) in Culbin Forest

Culbin Forest is an expanse of pine and dune running along the coast from Nairn to Findhorn Bay, all criss-crossed by gravel track. It covers thousands of acres and, if we are being honest, you get half its appeal by just choosing a path and making your way to wherever it takes you. There is

The Dava Way – an old railway, reformed

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction in covering the ground on a route that has long since been superseded by newer ways of doing things. The Dava Way is a case in point. This 24-mile trail from Forres to Grantown-on-Spey is a fine example of how to repurpose industrial heritage into something of striking diversity.

A Family Day at Brodie Castle: The pond walk and the Playful Garden

There is a tendency to view a castle estate as something of a relic, all grand rooms and formal lawns with their stories kept behind velvet ropes. Brodie Castle does not give off that air. For families in search of both quiet and a bit of wonder, it is far more welcoming. Tucked into the

Sanquhar Pond: A quiet local secret

If you have an hour to spare and would rather not be in the car, this is where to head. Sanquhar Pond is less than a mile from the High Street, set in a patch of woodland on the south side of town that most visitors never come across because they are not pointed in

Benromach: A distillery of deliberate proportions

Where the industry is ever more driven by global demand and the efficiencies of scale, Benromach prefers to go about things in a different manner. Located on the fringes of Speyside not far from Forres, this unassuming operation has made an art of restraint. With its limited output and hands-on methods, the distillery has a

Dallas Dhu: The distillery that’s coming back to life

There is a certain singularity to Dallas Dhu in the Scottish whisky scene. One would be hard pressed to find another distillery quite like it, not because of what it produces, but for the way it is poised between the present and bygone days. Those with an appreciation for history will find more here than

On the Forres Food Trail: Three butchers

There is no mistaking the quality of local food in Forres; for all its modest size, the town has more to offer than one might expect. Walk down the high street and you will come across three well-regarded butchers, each in its own way putting a stamp on the town’s culinary profile. Throw in a

Logie Steading: A place to shop, sip and stroll

Tucked into the Moray countryside next to the River Findhorn, Logie Steading has become one of the most agreeable little excursions in the area. It is as much a craft village or café stop as it is a riverside retreat, and a sensible solution to the Scottish conundrum of how to occupy oneself when the

What really happens at the Findhorn Foundation

Findhorn Foundation

Sueno’s Stone: Scotland’s Tallest Mystery

You might just miss it if you are driving into Forres from the east. There on the roundabout’s edge, behind a shroud of glass and letting the traffic whizz by to the shops, is a fine slab of grey sandstone. At over six metres high, it is older than most things left standing in Moray

A Five-Minute History Walk: The Forres Tolbooth, the Mercat Cross and the Square

Let’s focus on the epicentre of Forres as we make our way through the heart of town. It is not so much a scenic route as it is a passage over some of the quietest, oldest ground in Moray. In five minutes flat and with no detours, you will have covered all three of these

Findhorn: Dolphins, Dunes and a Bay at the Mercy of the Tide

There is an elemental quality to the coastal experience in Findhorn, set on Scotland’s northeast coast where the Moray Firth gives way to open skies and a shoreline that is in a state of constant flux. It is a village with a history written in its fishing heritage and wildlife, one that feels as much

A Cool Story in a Tiny Building: The Ice House at Findhorn

You would be forgiven for missing the small stone ice house as you make your way along the Findhorn shoreline. It is an unassuming 19th-century edifice, yet one with a history to match its stature. This was once a key part of the commerce that brought fresh salmon from the Moray Firth to London dining

Kinloss & Morayvia: Where Aviation History Lands

There are not many places in Scotland with the quiet pull of RAF Kinloss for those with an interest in military history or aviation. Situated on the Moray coast, the former Royal Air Force station was once central to maritime patrol and the kind of vigilance that defined the Cold War, all under the watchful

Rafford, Dunphail, Dyke and Kintessack: The villages Around the villages

There is a certain kind of reward to be had just past the obvious. For those who have made their way around Forres’s more recognisable landmarks and put in some time on the high street, or have followed the well-trodden paths of the wider Moray landscape, the villages of Rafford, Dunphail, Dyke and Kintessack are

Forres in Bloom: The small town that will not let goof Scotland’s premier flower award

There is a time of year when the transition from late spring to early summer sees Forres shed its air of being just another Highland town and put on the appearance of a garden. Lampposts are weighed down with hanging baskets, planters are full of colour and civic spaces you might not have given a

Forres Highland Games: A Guide

For an intimate and authentic taste of the Highland Games, one that is steeped in Scottish tradition, put the Forres event on your calendar. Located in the historic Moray town of Forres, it has all the pageantry and drama of the bigger affairs but in a far more congenial, community-focused environment. It is perhaps the

Findhorn Bay Festival: A premier event in Forres

Every two years, there is a change of pace in Moray when the autumn sets in. Forres starts to put on a different kind of energy, with its streets and cafés growing more animated and the town’s creative side making itself known in every corner. All of this is centred on the Findhorn Bay Festival,

Forres in the Rain: Ten Ways to Make the Most of It

One does not come to Scotland and be taken aback by the rain. It is as much a part of the scenery here as the hills, an atmospheric punctuation mark that lends its moody beauty to Moray and the Highlands. But for those in Forres, the familiar drizzle should not be cause for any letdown.

Five day trips from Forres, all within an hour

For those putting together a stay in Moray, Forres is hard to beat as a home base. It is compact and welcoming, yet its position between the coast, the countryside and the Highland landmarks gives it an advantage over some of the bigger destinations: you get straightforward access to a great deal without the bother

The House of Automata – it runs like clockwork

There are few visitor attractions in Forres that can be said to have as much character as The House of Automata. Set within the town’s historic fabric, it is one of those rare places where one feels less like a patron of a museum and more as though one has come face to face with

Cook like a local

The Rotary Club of Forres and Local Favourite Recipes: A Community Cookbook to be Celebrated There is a place on a every kitchen shelf for community cookbooks. They are not merely collections of instructions and ingredients but rather a portrait of the domestic life, traditions and tastes that define a town. To celebrate its 75th