A short visitor's guide to Forres, Moray: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Forres is a town in Moray, northern Scotland, sitting on the A96 trunk road between Inverness and Elgin, roughly 25 miles northeast of Inverness. The River Findhorn flows close to the western edge of town, and the wide main street, crowned by the ornate Forres Tolbooth, gives the town a settled, prosperous character that matches its longstanding status as a winner of the Scotland in Bloom competition.
Visitors come for the whisky, the walks and a handful of genuinely unusual attractions. Benromach Distillery on Invererne Road is a small, family-owned Speyside distillery whose handmade malt is among the most highly rated in the region. History hunters make for Sueno's Stone, a ten-foot carved Pictish monument off Findhorn Road, and Nelson's Tower in Grant Park, a Georgian column with sweeping views across the Moray Firth. Brodie Castle, the ancestral seat of the Brodie Clan, is a short drive west along the A96.
Forres punches well above its size for curiosities and heritage, with most of the main draws within walking distance of the High Street.
The headline is Sueno's Stone on Findhorn Road, a remarkable 9th-century Pictish carved sandstone cross-slab depicting a battle scene in extraordinary detail. A few minutes uphill, Grant Park provides 26 acres of award-winning formal gardens, a boating pond and the best town views from Nelson's Tower, a 70-foot Georgian column erected in 1806 to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. For something completely different, The House of Automata on the High Street houses over 200 antique and modern automata, many operable by visitors: it is billed as the world's only museum dedicated entirely to the form, and the 5-star rating on Google reflects its cult status. Whisky lovers should add Benromach Distillery on Invererne Road to the list; family-owned and award-winning, it runs guided distillery experiences and gin tastings through its Red Door Gin Visitor Experience.
Forres has a generous spread of green spaces for a town its size, and the River Findhorn and Moray coast are within easy reach for longer days out.
Grant Park is the centrepiece, a well-kept Victorian park with formal flowerbeds, a boating pond and the Nelson's Tower column at its core. Roysvale Park on Sanquhar Road offers a quieter stretch of grass and riverside path if the main park is busy. Califer Park, a mile or so southeast of town, provides a pleasant woodland walk with good views across the Laich of Moray. The nearby village of Rafford makes a quiet base for walkers wanting to explore the wider Findhorn Valley.
Forres has a compact but well-curated set of indoor options for wet afternoons.
Forres Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre on Burdsyard Road is the main leisure facility, with a public pool and gym. Art lovers should seek out Gallery No 55 and Orchard Road Studios on the High Street and Orchard Road respectively; both are small independent galleries showing changing exhibitions. Forres Library is housed in the House Community Centre on the High Street and forms part of the Moray Libraries network.
Forres has a good spread of pubs and bars along the High Street and Gordon Street, with a couple of specialist producers worth seeking out.
The clear community favourite is the Mosset Tavern on Gordon Street, a child-friendly local with an impressive real-ale and whisky selection, proper pub food and a self-catering house out back; its 4.7-star average from over 1,600 reviews says a great deal. The Red Lion (Beastie Bar) on Tolbooth Street is the town's second pub of note, with a reliably good atmosphere and outdoor seating. For something more distinctive, Speyside Brewery on West Road is a craft brewery producing a wide range of ales and experimental brews from the heart of malt whisky country; well worth a visit if you want to try something local. The Benromach Red Door Gin Visitor Experience at the distillery on Invererne Road rounds the drinks offer out for gin fans.
Forres's restaurant scene is centred on the High Street and Tolbooth Street, with Indian and kebab-and-grill takeaways dominating the evening trade alongside a few sit-in options.
The pick of the sit-in options is The Bonnie Beastie at 2 Tolbooth Street, the restaurant arm of the Red Lion with a broader menu than a straight pub kitchen. For Indian, both Cardamon Spice on the High Street and Forres Tandoori a few doors down are well-reviewed options. Speedy Pepper Forres at 143 High Street is the most popular kebab and grill takeaway in town, and the High Street also has Lucky Star for Chinese. For fish and chips, The Forres Fish Bar on Fleurs Place is the local choice.
Forres has a notably strong independent cafe scene for a town its size, with several strong specialty-coffee options alongside traditional bakery and ice cream choices.
The two most talked-about are Cafe 1496 and Fika, sitting at opposite ends of the High Street. Cafe 1496 at number 79 is the busiest spot in town, with 320 reviews averaging 4.7 stars and a full breakfast and lunch menu. Fika at 13 Tolbooth Street is a small specialty coffee shop roasting from Cairngorm Coffee and Onyx Coffee Labs, with home bakes and a relaxed atmosphere. Chimes at 69-71 High Street is the reliable coffee-chain alternative. For baked goods, Maclean's Highland Bakery on West Road has been making traditional shortbread, oatcakes and sweet biscuits since 1978 and has three Forres branches. On a warm day, Mather's Ice Cream in the Grant Park kiosk is the local favourite.
Forres sits on the A96 trunk road, which runs directly between Inverness (25 miles west) and Elgin (12 miles east) and onwards to Aberdeen. The town centre is bypassed by a relief road built in the late 1980s, so through traffic no longer runs along the High Street. A new dual carriageway A96 bypass is planned by the Scottish Government.
By train, Forres railway station is served by ScotRail on the Inverness to Aberdeen line, with regular services in both directions. The station sits just outside the town centre off St Catherine's Road.
There are no detailed bus schedules in the source material, but connections along the A96 corridor serve Forres from both Inverness and Elgin.