
Falconer Museum heads what Forres has to see
Forres and its surroundings hold 3 museums, 3 attractions and 3 castles. We list 3 places to visit inside Forres’ locality and 7 within 5 km of its edge. Of these, one is looked after by the National Trust for Scotland. A short walk covers 2, both within 1 km. Travel 21 km and you reach Cawdor Castle.
The best known in Forres
Beyond Falconer Museum, there are 2 attractions, 2 castles and an abbey or priory.
Castle · National Trust for ScotlandBrodie Castle4.2 km outside town, to the west
Abbey or prioryKinloss Abbey2.4 km outside town, to the northeast
CastleDarnaway Castle3.8 km outside town, to the southwestEach 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 view
At 5.6 km, Brodie Castle is the farthest one out.
The dashed line is Forres’ locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
What they are
4 castles or historic places and 3 museums or galleries top the count.
Green: inside Forres. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland (Brodie Castle).
Every entry
After the 3 in town come 7 more within 5 km of its edge.
The 3 inside Forres 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.
171 listed buildings and 1 scheduled monument are on Forres’ History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Forres →
Further away
Cawdor Castle, at 21 km, heads the 12 day trips.
CastleDuffus Castle18 km northeastAbbey or prioryAbbey or prioryPluscarden Abbey11 km eastCastleCastleBallindalloch Castle26 km southeast
Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandSpynie Palace21 km east
CathedralInverness Cathedral39 km west
Historic houseInverness Castle39 km westCastleCastleBalvenie Castle34 km southeast
Abbey or prioryGreyfriars Sisters of Mercy Convent in Elgin19 km eastCathedralCathedralDornoch Cathedral39 km northwest
CastleRait Castle15 km southwestPlaces well known beyond Forres (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.
Quick answers on Forres
What are the main attractions in Forres?
The best known inside Forres’ locality are Falconer Museum, Benromach Distillery and Sueno's Stone. In all, 3 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 7 more within 5 km.
Does Forres have a museum?
3 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Forres: Falconer Museum, Morayvia and Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery.
Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Forres?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Forres, 1 place is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland (Brodie Castle).
What are the best-known days out near Forres?
Within 40 km: Cawdor Castle (21 km), Fort George (27 km), Duffus Castle (18 km), Pluscarden Abbey (11 km).
Where are Forres’ historic buildings listed?
Forres has 171 listed buildings, 4 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 Forres 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 (10)
- Brodie Castle: JThomas, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kinloss Abbey: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Darnaway Castle: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blervie Castle: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Duffus Castle: van de Beek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Spynie Palace: George Reid, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Inverness Cathedral: Lucas Kendall, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Inverness Castle: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Greyfriars Sisters of Mercy Convent in Elgin: Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rait Castle: Jean Aldridge, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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.
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