Forres Heritage Trust

Thousands of visitors have flocked to two prominent tourist attractions over the spring and summer months with the organisation behind the buildings increasing its income which is vital to its future. Nelson’s Tower and a new tour at the Tolbooth which are both operated by the Forres Heritage Trust attracted over 3300 visitors, many coming from overseas including from Russia, Turkey, Malaysia and China. Footfall to the Tolbooth on Forres High Street was also boosted with the return of a four-day photographic exhibition which ran for the first time since the covid pandemic. The show held in September raised …

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A plan to light up three historic Forres monuments has taken a step forward with the project receiving planning permission and securing £50,000 of funding. Permission has been granted to light up Nelson’s Tower, The Tolbooth and the Mercat Cross. The planning application was submitted by the Forres Heritage Trust who own the Tolbooth and look after Nelson’s Tower on behalf of Moray Council. The Trust has also secured £30,000 funding from Berry Burn Community Fund, £15,000 from Forres Features Limited, the company who staged Colours of Cluny and The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation has agreed to give …

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A historic photo exhibition will be dressed to impress at the end of this month with a display of vintage clothes The outfits have been donated to the Forres Heritage Trust with a number of them currently on display in the Highland Hospice shop on Forres High Street. But the outfits will be moved to the Tolbooth for the photographic exhibition which will take place from August 31 to September 3. The Trust was given the dresses by Meg and John Mackenzie. The couple were founder members of Forres Heritage Trust which was set up in 2010 and helped …

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The spotlight is set to be shone on three historic Forres monuments after a planning application was submitted to The Moray Council to illuminate the buildings. Permission is being sought to light up Nelson’s Tower, The Tolbooth and the Mercat Cross. The application has been submitted by the Forres Heritage Trust who own the Tolbooth and look after Nelson’s Tower on behalf of the Council. Leading on the project on behalf of the Forres Heritage Trust are trustees Bob James and Bill Budge. Bob James explained: “We are very excited to be exploring this project which will see these …

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The Forres Heritage Trust is launching an exciting new tourist attraction and is looking for volunteers to help get the project off the ground. A new tour at the Tolbooth will show visitors around the old police office and cells, the newly renovated courtroom and provide them with a trip up to the parapet around the clock tower which has never been open to the public. However, to make the project work, the Forres Heritage Trust which owns the Tolbooth, needs more helpers to act as a tour guides. Volunteers crucial to success George Alexander, chairman of the Trust …

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The clock on one of the town’s most historic buildings is chiming again after its mechanism was replaced. The restoration to the clock on the Tolbooth is the final stage of a project which will see the parapet around the clocktower being opened to the public as a tourist attraction. The mechanism was replaced by clockmakers Smiths of Derby and George Alexander, chairman of the Forres Heritage Trust which owns the building said it was great to hear the clock chiming again. He said: “This is the final stage in a huge project to get the clocktower open to …

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The Forres Heritage Trust needs your help. As part of its redevelopment of the old police office and cells in the Tolbooth, the Trustees have been undertaking some very serious research involving the 19 Crimes wines. The 19 Crimes wine was inspired by those who, beginning in 1787, were transported to Australia for a life of hard labour and the Trust has found some stories of that very thing happening to some local folk and want to make a feature from the corks. Transportation was an alternative to hanging during the Victorian era. Convicted criminals were transported to the colonies …

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The Forres Rotary Club is celebrating World Polio Day this month and has sought the help of another town-based organisation to do so. The Tolbooth, located on Forres High Street will be lit up in purple, after the Forres Heritage Trust which owns the building agreed to help. The colour purple signifies the colour dye used on the little finger of a child who has received their life saving polio drops on mass polio immunisation days in many countries, to show they have received their life saving vaccine. Rotary Clubs across the world have been campaigning since 1985 when there were …

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