Forres

The flower of Scotland!

Forres is a beautiful town, perhaps most famous for its colourful floral displays and links to Macbeth.

The town is a regular winner at Scotland in Bloom and Keep Scotland Beautiful awards, and its floral displays fill the town with colour and vibrancy.

However, there’s more to this Moray destination than flowerbeds and Shakespeare.

Forres High Street

It is the second largest town in Moray after Elgin and is built around a 900-year-old high street.

At the centre is the Tolbooth, dominating the street and towering over all buildings around it. The street has a good selection of independent retail shops, a market square and a ‘mercat cross’.

Forres makes an excellent central base for exploring the area, it has a good network of walks and cycle routes, and is on the main Inverness to Aberdeen road and rail routes.

Where is Forres?

In essence, it is the gateway to Moray, as the first town you’ll arrive in when travelling from the west. And it’s worth your while stopping off to soak up some of the attractions and activities.

Twety-five miles from Forres and 80 mles from Aberdeen, on the A96 and main rail route between the two cities, and easily accessible from Inverness Airport, it’s easy to get to.

St Laurence Church, Forres is awash with colour from Spring onwards.

It’s not by chance that Moray has been included in the top ten UK destinations, or that Forres is often seen to be the jewel in the county crown.

With a rich culture and a heritage rooted into the very fabric of Scotland’s history, Moray continues to attract people from across the world. Some say it is our beautiful unspoiled landscapes, our incredible range of local tasty food or the selection of whisky distilled with the water from the very hills that surround us that bring people here.

Others say it is the warmth of our people or our willingness to always stop and have a ‘blether’ on the High Street or perhaps in a coffee shop. Whatever the reason, once you have visited we know you will keep coming back time and time again.

Romance or adventure?

It’s not just the romantics we attract to our shores as other adventures wait right on your doorstep for you or for your whole family. White water rafting, wind surfing, climbing, stalking, fishing and shooting all await those seeking the high adventure.

For those of us who are a little more laid back or perhaps with younger children there are miles upon miles of unspoiled beaches, rambling forest trails, beautiful parks and lots of open space to enjoy all within a few minutes of Forres.

Top this off with museums, galleries, theatre, festivals, international events and a wide range of wonderful accommodation to meet every need and you can see why we are proud to say Forres has something for everyone.

The A96 bypasses the town, but it’s really worth slowing down and taking a detour through the 900-year-old high street, eating at one of the many cafes, restaurants or takeaways and taking in the architecture, floral display and friendliness of the people who live and work here.

Some of the things you can see in and around Forres: