Forres

Forres, an ancient Royal Burgh Town, is situated on the Moray Coast. In between the floodplain of the River Findhorn and the wooded slopes of Cluny and Sanquhar Hills. The town's name has been made famous by Shakespeare who set here the opening scenes of his Scottish play 'Macbeth'. The town is thought to be the "Varris" shown on the maps by Ptolemy almost two thousand years ago. There was a Royal Castle in Forres in 900AD. It became a royal burgh in around 1140AD. There is nothing to show that there once was a castle there. Forres was once a busy market town, people from local villages came to buy and sell. The layout of Forres still preserves the medieval town plan where the main street widened to accommodate the market place.

The Mercat Cross

The cross, in the centre of the High Street, was erected in 1844 by public subscription, from the designs of Thomas Mackenzie, Elgin. Provost Urquhart laid the foundation stone on 19th February 1844 in the presence of the Magistrates, the architect, and many respectable inhabitants of the burgh. The stone of the old cross was not removed from the spot where it originally stood, it is now in the heart of the new cross. It is in the gothic style of architecture and stands at forty feet high and bears a marked resemblance to Sir Walter Scott's Monument in Edinburgh.

Nelson Tower

The Nelson Tower stands above the Grant Park in Forres. It can be seen many miles out to sea. It was built by the Forres Trafalgar Club in commemoration of Admiral Lord Nelson's Victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It opened in 1812. It was the first built monument to Nelson after his death at the famous naval battle. It has a small exhibition of local photographs and a Nelson Memorabilia in its two upper rooms. There are 96 steps to climb to the roof of the tower to see the spectacular views of the Moray Firth.

Brodie Castle

Brodie Castle is located 4.5 miles west of Forres. It has been home to the Brodie Family since 1160. The Brodies claim to be one of the original pictish tribes of Moray. The Castle was damaged in 1645 during the Montrose Campaigns. The oldest part is the 16th century 'Z' plan with additions made in the 17th and 19th centuries. It is now under the care of The National Trust for Scotland. The Castle contains fine French furniture, English, Continental and Chinese porcelain and a great collection of paintings ranging from 17th century Dutch to English water-colours and Scottish colourists. The grounds of the Castle offers walks through the woods and around the pond with access to wildlife observation hides. The gardens are known for their displays of daffodils, and there are pleasant walks and an adventure playground.

Forres Sueno's Stone

The 20 feet high, 9th century Sueno's Stone at the east end of Forres is the largest known Pictish sculptured stone. It is described as the 'tallest and most complex piece of early medieval sculpture in Scotland'. It was possibly built just before the start of this millennium by Kenneth Mac Alpin - First King of the Scots after he defeated the Kings of the seven northern Pictish Kingdoms. On one side of the stone is a large decorated cross and on the other side are scenes of fighting and killing of depict foot soldiers and horsemen. It had to be encased in an armoured glass cover to prevent it from erosion and damage.

Forres Today

Forres has grown much in recent years and now has over 9,000 inhabitants. Today it is well known for its award winning floral sculptures and is steeped in local history and traditions. The Focal point of the town is marked by the Tollbooth (built in 1838) which used to house the local archives. Grant Park which contains the unique floral sculptures which draw thousands of admiring visitors each summer, Flat Green Bowling Club and Cricket Club was given to the town by Sir Alexander Grant. The River Findhorn flows nearby from its impressive rocky gorge into the tidal basin of Findhorn Bay. The town has three local primary schools and one Academy. Forres, today still maintains a wide variety of small local independent traders. The Forres Golf Course is one of the best inland layouts in the Highlands, with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and its tree lined fairways. The 18 hole Course once hosted the Scottish Professional Championship.