A website has been launched to help Forres bounce back from the hardship of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Moray community has been hit hard through the coronavirus pandemic like the rest of the country.
Now a Visit Forres website has been launched to help make a “proud and bold statement” that the town is open for business.
New website aims to held Covid recovery in Forres
Not-for-profit Moray Media has launched the Visit Forres website to coincide with the relaxation of coronavirus rules in the region.
It is hoped the page will help direct locals and visitors to tips for evening meals as well as accommodation and events.
Director Marc Hindley explained the site had been planned for several years, before being delayed when the Covid pandemic hit.
He said: “Visit Scotland and Visit Moray Speyside both have their roles in drawing people to the area and Visit Forres adds to the mix by highlighting everything there is to see and do in the town and surrounding villages. Forres has a lot to offer, and it’s as much for locals as it is for visitors.
“We started building the site to launch in time for the 2020 season, but as the pandemic had such as a huge impact on tourism and leisure activities, we held off.
“Now that restrictions have been lifted, the time is right.”
Flowers and history: Why Forres is worth a visit
Forres is renowned for being among the most attractive towns in the north-east.
Its High Street was crowned the most beautiful in the country in 2017 by Scotland’s Towns Partnership.
And local volunteer group Forres in Bloom regularly scoops annual awards for its stunning floral displays in the town centre, Grant Park and elsewhere.
The town also gets mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with a small hill nearby where three witches are fabled to have predicted the king’s demise.
It was also home to Sir Alexander Grant, who invented the digestive biscuit, and a portrait of the businessman hangs in the Tolbooth, which will soon open its clocktower to visitors for panoramic views.