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Forres is a Town on the Moray Coast area of
Scotland, 26 miles east of Inverness, 10 miles east of Nairn.
Forres is popular for St Laurence Church,
Tolbooth and Market Cross, Falconer Museum, Grant Park
with Nelsons Tower,
all on or by the High Street. Sueno's Stone
is at the east end of Town, Benromach Distillery north side,
Dallas Dhu Distillery 2 miles south,
Brodie
Castle 4 miles west, Kinloss
Abbey 3 miles northeast, Findhorn 4
miles northeast for Water Sports & Boat
Trips, and there are a number of Walks in the
area including Randolph's Leap and the Moray
Way.
For Images on Mobile swipe right
Click On Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top is Forres War Memorial by
Bridge Street, 200 yards downhill from the west
end of the High Street. Next to the Memorial is
Castle Park Gardens with the Thomson
Memorial unveiled in 1857, commemorating
the Crimea War.
The second image is of St Laurence
Church on the High Street, completed in
1906, on the site of earlier Churches dating
back to the 1200s.
The Tolbooth is in
the centre of the High Street with the Market
Cross in front. The Tolbooth was completed in
1839 to serve as a Court and Jail, now used as
Council Offices.
The Market Cross was erected in 1844, on the
base of a much earlier Market Cross.
The Falconer Museum
is on Tolbooth Street, just off the High
Street, a Free Museum giving information on
Forres through the centuries, including
Artifacts from Pre-History.
Grant Park is at the east end of the High
Street, with award winning Flower Beds,
Cricket, Kids Play, and Nelson's Tower on top
of Cluny Hill by at the Park.
Nelson's Tower
was completed in 1812 in honour of Admiral
Lord Nelson,
who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Each floor has information on Nelson and the
top gives great views over Forres and north to
Findhorn Bay and Village. The Woodland Path up
to the Tower is fairly steep, taking about 20
minutes to walk. Free entry with donations
encouraged.
Sueno's Stone
is at the north side of Forres, continue
straight up the High Street and Victoria Road
until signs show the road into the Stone.
This is the largest surviving carved Pictish
Stone in Scotland, about 23 feet / 7 metres
high, said to have been created in the 800s. A
Glass Structure was built around the Stone in
the 1990s to prevent further Erosion.
Forres Golf
Club is on the south side of the Town,
founded in 1889.
Benromach Distillery is on the north
side of Town with a Visitor Centre, easily
found by its tall Chimney. This Distillery was
founded in 1898, producing Malt Whisky from 10
to 50 years old.
Dallas Dhu Distillery
is 2 miles south of Forres. This Distillery now
serves as a Museum, as it stopped producing
Whisky in 1983.
Brodie Castle is 4 miles west,
built for Clan Brodie from the 1500s, opened to
the public since the 1980s.
Forres History
800s? - Sueno's Stone was carved and erected
at Forres by the Picts.
800s - a Royal Castle had been built at
Forres to help control the area, claimed to
have been for Kenneth
McAlpine, first King of united Scotland.
Before this time, Scotland was split into many
Kingdoms.
1100s - the King awarded an Estate 4 miles
east of Forres to Clan Brodie, with an early
Castle said to have been built there around
that time.
1140s - Forres became a Royal Burgh,
allowing the Town to hold Markets and Trade
around the Country.
1150 - Kinloss Abbey was founded by King
David I, 3 miles northeast of Forres.
1500s - the Brodie Castle seen today was
built 4 miles west of Forres, probably on the
site of a much earlier Castle.
1700s - Horse Riders delivered Mail around
the area, a time when there were few roads or
bridges.
1800s early - new Road Surfaces and Bridges
were built throughout north Scotland, known as
McAdam, different sizes of
small stones, packed down to make an even
surface.
1812 - Horse pulled Mail Coaches began
operating in the area, delivering Mail and
transporting People.
1839 - the Tolbooth was completed to serve
as a Court and Jail.
1844 - the Market Cross was erected where a
much earlier Cross had been, in front of the
Tolbooth.
1858 - the Railway reached
Forres, on the Lines connecting Inverness,
Aberdeen and Perth, leading to the end of the
Horse pulled Mail Coaches.
1895 - the first Cars were imported into
Scotland, creating a lot of dust when traveling
fast over the McAdam Roads.
1898 - Benromach Distillery was founded,
producing Single Malt Whisky.
1899 - Dallas Dhu Distillery began producing
Single Malt Whisky.
1902 - Tar was sprayed on the McAdam Roads
to prevent dust, beginning of modern day
roads.
1906 - St Laurence Church was completed.
2017 - a new Train Station at Forres was
opened.
2019 - I visited Forres for Photos in late
summer, when the Town was a mass of Flowers
down the High Street and at Grant Park.
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