20 Attractions to Explore Near Pluscarden Abbey

Glen Moray distillery has been producing fine single malt since 1897. The locally malted barley and pure waters of the River Lossie combine to produce this delicate well-balanced whisky. The distillery has a visitor centre which offers tours and tastings year-round. Details can be found on the company website here: Distillery Tours. Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail is a tourism initiative featuring seven working Speyside distilleries including Glen Moray, a historic distillery and the Speyside Coope

The Duke of Gordon's Monument is a commemorative monument on Lady Hill near Elgin, Scotland. Built in honour of George Gordon, the 5th Duke of Gordon, the monument takes the form of a Tuscan column, 80 feet high, and 6 feet 9 inches wide at the base. The column is hollow, with a spiral staircase leading up the shaft which gives access to the top. It was erected in 1839, and a statue of Gordon, sculpted by Thomas Goodwillie, was installed on the top in 1855. It is designated as a Category A liste

Forres golf course is a more than century-old golf course located in Forres in the northern part of Scotland on the Moray coast. In 1889 James Braid designed and created the original nine holes, and in 1912 the course was expanded to eighteen holes by Willie Park. The 6,236-yard, par-70 course has hosted the Scottish Professional Championship tournament. The course professional is Sandy Aird, a PGA member since 1971 who has worked for the Scottish Golf Union since 1996 as North District golf coa

Elgin Museum is Scotland's oldest independent museum, located in Elgin, Moray, Scotland. Its collections cover area fossils and geology, archaeology, ethnography, art and local history. Opened in 1843, it is one of the oldest independent museums in the country. The museum is run by The Moray Society. Its fossil collection is classed as a Recognised Collection by Museums Galleries Scotland.

Elgin Cathedral, known as the ‘Lantern of the North’, is one of Scotland’s most beautiful medieval cathedrals. The cathedral was once richly carved and adorned with stained glass and painted decoration. A fine collection of architectural fragments hints at the building’s lost beauty, while documentary evidence sheds light on religious life at Elgin.

Sueno's Stone is the largest and most spectacular of the many carved stones that have survived from the early medieval period in Scotland. It stands in a purpose built glass shelter on the north eastern edge of the town of Forres beside a disused spur of road near the roundabout between the B9011 and the A96. The stone was erected c. 850–950 but by whom and for what, is unknown.

This beautiful garden stands in a fitting location a little north of Elgin Cathedral and on the opposite side of King Street. Beyond the gate is a remarkable three acre space, a "garden of repose" in which it is visitors can relax and enjoy the natural world. And, if they wish, follow the complex web of biblical references contained within both the planting and the hard landscaping.

Impressive mature larch trees stand out amongst the conifers lining the slopes above the man made fishery lake. There are leisurely lakeside walks and more challenging hillside paths offering great views of the Moray Firth. The planted rhododendrons and azaleas are really colourful in spring. A large variety of rhododendrons and trees have been planted and this attracts wildlife, from red squirrels feeding at the station to roe deer, badger, rabbit and if you are quiet and lucky, pine martin.

Nelson Tower was built by the Forres Trafalgar Club to commemorate Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. From the top it affords spectacular views of the town and Findhorn Bay while it overlooks the town from the summit of Cluny Hill. When you get to the tower you will be able to climb the 96 steps to the viewing area on the roof. Please take care inside the tower as the floor and stairs have uneven stone surfaces.

A spectacular park located in the heart of Moray. There are places to rest in the park. In spring and summer the flowerbeds are very picturesque. In autumn the trees are spectacular but beware of fallen leaves on the paths, which can make them very slippy if wet. You can extend this walk by joining onto Cluny Hill paths.

The Falconer Museum is one of the oldest in the district. Situated in the heart of Forres High Street, the museum houses a wealth of treasures relating to Moray’s distant and more recent past. Permanent displays include social history, geology, natural history and archaeology. The Falconer Museum is named after two Forres born brothers, Hugh and Alexander Falconer.

Millbuies Loch was created by the damming of streams to provide angling facilities on the loch.Moray District Council took over the estate in 1975 and the fishing was extended to the public. The featured path around the loch is hard aggregate with various other paths leading off to scenic views. A large variety of rhododendrons and trees have been planted and this attracts wildlife, from red squirrels feeding at the station to roe deer, badger, rabbit and if you are quiet and lucky, pine martin.

The Tolbooth is a landmark building in Forres, jutting out into the street at its highest point and providing a focal point to the High Street. Built on the site of an earlier structure, the current building dates from 1838–39 and was built by William Robertson in the Scots Baronial style. It is a three-storey courthouse and jail with an imposing three-stage clock tower and belfry with a crowning cupola and weather vane.

The Dava Way is a walking and cycling path which generally follows the course of the former railway line between Grantown-on-Spey and Forres. It stretches over 38 kilometres from Grantown-on-Spey in the Cairngorms National Park to the fine country town of Forres in the county of Moray. Mostly following the line of the old Highland Railway Line, it provides traffic-free walking and has a fine gradation of scenery from the Spey at Grantown.

The Dallas Dhu distillery was a producer of single malt Scotch whisky that operated between 1899 and 1983 in Forres, Moray, Scotland. Dallas Dhu means "Black Water Valley" in Gaelic. Its whisky also appeared as a "Dallas Mhor" single malt. In 1899, Alexander Edward designed the Dallas Dhu distillery at the height of the whisky boom. Later he sold the plans and the distillery was built by the blender Wright and Greg. It was acquired by Benmore Distilleries Ltd, which joined DCL in 1929. The still

Duffus Castle is a Norman motte and bailey castle augmented by a later stone keep. The original Norman motte and bailey fortress was composed of an impressive earthwork mound standing out from the low-lying Leigh of Moray, surrounded by a timber palisade. The castle was substantially rebuilt in the thirteenth century including construction of the large Keep seen today. Duffus was attacked on numerous occasions but remained in use until the eighteenth century.

The Findhorn Foundation and Community is a spiritual community and holistic learning centre – an experiential search into new ways of living. We welcome guests to become part of the ongoing exploration. The Foundation has two main sites. The Foundation offers a range of workshops, programmes and events in the environment of a working ecovillage. The programmes are intended to give participants practical experience of how to apply spiritual values in daily life. Approximately 3000 participants fr

Benromach is a traditional Speyside distillery owned by a family of whisky-lovers intent on making single malt the right way with true character. It is situated near Forres in Morayshire and is fed with spring water from the Chapelton Springs in the Romach Hills beside Forres. On your visit, you can see the mash tun, and the burnished copper stills, and witness their experienced distillers create the unique qualities of Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Loch Spynie is a small loch located between the towns of Elgin and Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland. Close to Spynie Palace, the ancient home of the bishops of Moray, it is an important wildlife habitat which is protected as a Ramsar Site. It is a remnant of a great wetland that stretched from the western shore of the current loch to the mouth of the River Lossie and, at that time, many of the settlements along the Moray coast were actually islands in the Moray Firth.

Burghead Well stands in the north-eastern corner of what was once a great Pictish fort. Three huge ramparts and ditches cut off the headland heading into the Moray Firth. Behind them lay an inner fort, dating to about AD 500. Burghead may have served as a Pictish navy base, but it was destroyed by fire in the 800s.