Forres Heritage Trust

Mystery History Walk

A trail which takes users on a mystery history tour has been launched for an area of Forres. The Forres Heritage Trust, working in association with Moray Treasure Trails has created the walk which incorporates key local sites and sees participants scanning QR codes which provide them with information about some of the stops. The trail starts and ends in the same location and generally focusses on Grant Park and Cluny Hill. The Trust began doing trails last Autumn when it launched a Halloween walk. This was followed by a Christmas themed trail and one for Spring The new …

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Barriers are final step in tourism project

SAFETY barriers which are one of the last stages of a project to turn one of Forres’ most historic buildings into a tourist attraction have been installed. The walkway around the clocktower in the Tolbooth situated in the centre of the High Street is now set to be opened to the public for the first time. The barriers which were fabricated and installed by local company AJ Engineering were put in place last week. The Tolbooth is owned by the Forres Heritage Trust and chairman George Alexander said he is delighted the clocktower project is almost complete. He said: …

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School boy invited to close tower

A young boy who was the first person to visit a north-east monument when it re-opened for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit was invited back to help close it for the season. The Tower is usually open from the start of April, but only re-opened for the first time at the start of August following the outbreak of Covid 19. Volunteers were delighted when they arrived at the Tower to find Teddy queuing in the rain to ensure he was the first visitor and they thought it was only fitting he was there to close it …

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Building warrant moves clock tower project on

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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Nine year old queues in rain to be first up Tower

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 to re-open following Covid pandemic

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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Historic photo exhibition to go online

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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Spring Time Stroll?

A THIRD trail to encourage people to get out and about and enjoy one of Forres’ most prominent landmarks has been created. Following the success of its Halloween and Christmas walks, the Forres Heritage Trust has now ‘planted’ a Spring Time Stroll Trail which will allow people to search for pictures whilst enjoying all that Cluny Hill, Nelson’s Tower and Grant Park has to offer. The trail has been put together by Trustees Ainsley James and Sandra MacIver. Ainsley explained: “These wee walks situated mainly on Cluny Hill started back in October when Sandra created a Halloween trail. We …

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Christmas trail unwrapped

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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Christmas Lights bring joy to town

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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