Visit Forres

Ben Rinnes

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Ben Rinnes is Moray’s highest peak, with a summit of 2733ft (841 metres). It offers outstanding views of the surrounding countryside. It is a popular spot for walking, mountain biking and running. Although visible for miles around, it has few remarkable features unless you actually climb it. The trail is a steady ascent of 541 … Read more

When Robert Burns came to Forres

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Robert Burns is our national poet. A prolific writer from Ayrshire, he was born in Alloway and published hundreds of rhymes and verses on all manner of topics principally around women drink and merryment. He toured many parts of Scotland, and records show he travelled to Inverness and through Elgin, stopping in Forres, and possibly … Read more

Millbuies

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Millbuies is a trout fishery and country estate easily accessible by road, and providing a pleasant place to walk and fish as well as a habitat for wildlife. Four miles south of Elgin and 16 miles from Forres (25 minutes) The park consists of a loch with a circular, or figure of eight, walk – … Read more

The most wonderful time of the year

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As the song suggests “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and indeed it is for Birdwatchers. Wintertime heralds the arrival of birds from the Far North and in particular birdwatchers keep hoping that this year will be a “Waxwing” year. Waxwings are an “irruptive” species, meaning they do not migrate to our shores … Read more

How Burghead’s Pictish fort would have looked 1000 years ago

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Stunning reconstructions show how a local Pictish settlement might have looked more than 1000 years ago. Burghead is one of Scotland’s largest-known Pictish forts, and these three-dimensional images of the headland have been created based on archaeological excavations by the University of Aberdeen. Funded by Historic Environment Scotland as part of a wider video project … Read more

Bye bye Milky Way, hello Aurora Borealis

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As autumn moves into winter, we see rapid changes in trees and plants particularly, but there’s also a change in the night sky. As autumn moves to winter, there’s more chance of seeing the aurora borealis (Northern Lights), and less chance of seeing the Milky Way. We’re very aware of seasonal changes on the ground, … Read more

Dark skies reveal hidden beauty

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The word was that this would be an aurora to remember. Even mainstream news sites were getting excited about the potential for the Northern Lights to be seen all over the UK on 30 October. I wasn’t the only one out at 8pm waiting for the big show. It was a long wait… I’ve seen … Read more

Altyre landscape is a true inspiration for artist Andrea, exhibiting at Moray Art Centre

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For an artist who has her studio on the rural estate at Altyre, it’s little surprise that Andrea Turner’s surroundings influence her painting. I visited her exhibition at the Moray Art Centre in October 2021, consisting of a large selection of oils and watercolours. Her work has been shown at galleries in London and Edinburgh. … Read more