Forres Heritage Trust

A PROJECT to develop the clock tower in one of the town’s most historic buildings into a new tourist attraction is gathering pace. Listed building consent, planning permission and a building warrant to install safety barriers on a walkway around the clocktower at the Tolbooth have been secured and the Forres Heritage Trust who own the building has also received some further funding. It is hoped the works will be complete by September with a view to opening the attraction to the public shortly after. The latest successful funding of £11,301.60 was secured from The Beatrice Partnership Fund and …

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A nine-year-old boy stood for over an hour in the rain to make sure he was the first person to visit a north east monument after it re-opened for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Nelson’s Tower in Forres opened on Saturday. It had not been open since it closed for the season in September 2019. And Teddy Gadalla who was a regular visitor to the Tower before the pandemic made sure he was first in the queue. He said: “I was very excited when I found out it was opening. I used to visit it every …

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Nelson’s Tower is set to re-open later this month for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit. The Tower has not been open since it closed for the season in September 2019. But now, the Forres Heritage Trust which looks after the Tower has said it is looking forward to welcoming back visitors. The Tower which stands on Cluny Hill in Grant Park usually opens every day from the start of April until the end of September, but now will open Friday to Monday 2pm-4pm from July 31. The Trust is also hoping that more volunteers will come …

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A historic photo exhibition which is usually held in the Tolbooth will this year be done online. The Forres Heritage Trust usually hosts two four-day events in May and September showcasing a wealth of historic photos curated by volunteers Ray Mills and Ross Dalziel. However, in 2020 the exhibitions had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Now, with the May event also not being able to go ahead in the historic building, the Trust has decided to put a small collection online. Ray Mills who has been supporting the Trust with the exhibitions since 2011 explained: “Last …

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Santa’s helpers have been busy creating a festive trail to encourage people to get out and about in the run up to Christmas. Following on from the success of its Halloween trail, the Forres Heritage Trust has now launched a Christmas themed hunt with kids young and old being asked to search for the 12 Days of Christmas. Taking the lead on the project are Trustees Sandra MacIver and Ainsley James. Sandra who set up the Halloween trail said: “We are absolutely over the moon with the response we got for the Halloween trail which was really simple and …

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Forres town centre is now all lit up after a team of volunteers spent the day erecting the festive lights. The usual annual event where crowds gather to countdown the lights being switched on had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, the Christmas Lights Committee was determined to still spread some joy to the people of Forres and the lights were switched on at the weekend without the usual pomp and ceremony. Alan Hunter, chairman of the committee said: “Never did we think that we would be have to switch the lights on in secret, but it …

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A £50,000 investment to create a new tourist attraction at a Moray landmark is well under way with the building undergoing significant works. Scaffolding has been erected around the Forres Tolbooth in what marks Phase 2 of a project to open up the walkway around the clocktower to establish a new visitor attraction for the region. The project is being funded by the Forres Heritage Trust who own the Tolbooth with other monies being secured from the Berry Burn Community Fund which allocated £20,000 and the Town centre Regeneration Fund which gave £9375.                The latest works involve fixing the …

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Hidden in the depths of Forres Tolbooth are the town’s old police office and cells. In this tour as part of Doors Open Day, Trustee Sandra MacIver will turn you into a virtual criminal as you are taken from the historic police office to the cells! This tour has not yet opened to the public so this is your chance to get a first look at this exciting piece of Forres’ history. Ideal for kids!