Three historic monuments in Forres have been officially ‘lit up’ following a three-year project.
On Saturday, around 70 VIPs were welcomed to the Tolbooth to witness it, and the nearby Mercat Cross being lit up. The guests who were greeted to the event by a piper, were also shown a short film which showcased the illumination of Nelson’s Tower which stands proudly on Cluny Hill.
The project has been taken forward by the Forres Heritage Trust who own the Tolbooth and look after Nelson’s Tower.
Trustees Bill Budge and Bob James took the lead on the project working with consultants and architects and gaining planning permission. They also secured over £120k of funding to help the project come to fruition.
Bill Budge said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the result. The benefit this will bring to Forres is immense and must not be underestimated. Apart from highlighting these beautiful and historic buildings, we want the public to visit these places and enjoy educational, social and positive experiences. We also hope increased visitor numbers will produce corresponding economic benefits for the businesses of Forres as well as for Forres Heritage Trust to allow us to continue the vital work we undertake in allowing access to buildings which otherwise couldn’t be the case.”
He added: “To do what we have achieved has not been an easy task, primarily as we are dealing with listed buildings which need particular care when working with and also the project needed substantial funding. We were supported by Scottish Landfill Communities Fund funded by Moray Council, Berry Burn Community Fund, The Budge Foundation, The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation and Forres Features who organised Colours of Cluny. This project would not have been possible without the support of these funders.”
Bob James added: “This project has been a long time in the planning and it was only right that we had an official event which welcomed some of the key players in the project and the establishment of the Forres Heritage Trust to witness the official first illumination. These buildings are part of Forres’ rich history and lighting them up will make them a beacon and encourage interest and tourism for the buildings themselves but also create a feature for the people of Forres to enjoy. One of our key considerations was the ongoing cost and of course the environment, so Nelson’s Tower will use the same power in a week that a domestic kettle does in a day, and the Mercat cross about a month of light for a day’s kettle. The lights know to come on only after sunset and they are programmed to go out at 11pm when the clock stops chiming. There will be no light spill as these lights are precision made-to-order for each location.”