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Meffan Institute Museum & Gallery
Attractions in Forfar

Places to visit in Forfar, led by Meffan Institute Museum & Gallery

Of the 7 places to visit in and around Forfar, 5 are castles or historic places. There are 2 places to visit inside Forfar’s locality, and 5 more within 5 km of its edge. The middle of town keeps 2 within 1 km. Out of town, Glamis Castle is 7.5 km away.

Photo: Meffan Institute Museum & Gallery, Ewen Rennie (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Forfar
2
inside the locality
Within 5 km
5
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
1
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Best known

Where to start in Forfar

After Meffan Institute Museum & Gallery, look out for a historic site, an abbey or priory and a fort.

MuseumMeffan Institute Museum & Galleryin townHistoric siteHistoric siteCastlehill Monumentin townAbbey or prioryRestenneth Priory1 km outside town, to the northeastFortFortKemp's Castle4.6 km outside town, to the northeastCastleCastleKinnettles Castle2.6 km outside town, to the southwestZooZooMurton Farm1.8 km outside town, to the east

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Where to go

Kemp's Castle, 6.4 km away, is the farthest on the map.

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The dashed line is Forfar’s locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022

By kind

Sorted by kind

The biggest group is castles or historic places, with 5 of the 7.

Museums & galleries 1 museum1 in town
Castles & historic places 2 historic sites · 1 abbey or priory · 1 fort · 1 castle1 in town · 4 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 zoo0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Forfar. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

Every place

Everything on the list

First the 2 in town, then the 5 within 5 km of its edge.

The 2 inside Forfar come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

139 listed buildings and 2 scheduled monuments are on Forfar’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Forfar →

Big names nearby

Further afield

Day trips number 12; the best known is Glamis Castle, 7.5 km off.

Historic houseGlamis Castle7.5 km westHistoric shipHistoric shipRRS Discovery21 km southCathedralBrechin Cathedral17 km northeastCastle · Historic Environment ScotlandClaypotts Castle19 km southCastleCastleMelgund Castle11 km northeastCathedralSt Andrew's Cathedral, Dundee21 km southCastle · Historic Environment ScotlandBroughty Castle20 km southCastleCastle · Historic Environment ScotlandEdzell Castle23 km northeastAbbey or prioryArbroath Abbey21 km southeastCathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, Dundee21 km southCastleMains Castle18 km southMuseumV&A Dundee21 km south

Places well known beyond Forfar (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

What visitors ask about Forfar

What are the main attractions in Forfar?

The best known inside Forfar’s locality are Meffan Institute Museum & Gallery and Castlehill Monument. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 5 more within 5 km.

Does Forfar have a museum?

1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of Forfar: Meffan Institute Museum & Gallery.

Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Forfar?

None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Claypotts Castle (Historic Environment Scotland), 19 km south.

What are the best-known days out near Forfar?

Within 40 km: Glamis Castle (7.5 km), RRS Discovery (21 km), Brechin Cathedral (17 km), Claypotts Castle (19 km).

Where are Forfar’s historic buildings listed?

Forfar has 139 listed buildings, 2 of them Category A. They are on its History page, from Historic Environment Scotland’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Forfar when it is inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (11)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.