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This area includes Forres, Rafford, Dallas,
Kinloss and Findhorn.
Forres
Forres
grew upon the industries of farming, forestry and distilling. To the
west of Forres lies the River Findhorn cutting its path through some of
the most beautiful scenery of the area, before flowing into Findhorn Bay
which, surrounded by the Culbin Forest, provides a beautiful ending to its
meandering path before entering the Moray Firth.
In the second century when the ancient
Roman cartographer Ptolemy was undertaking the task of mapping Scotland,
he identified a town called Varis. This town is believed to be what
is now known as Forres.
There is evidence of a Royal Castle
situated in Forres from around 900 AD and it is believed that it was a
royal stronghold for the ancient Kings of Scotland. Forres is an
ancient Royal Burgh granted its status by the Scottish Kings around 1140
AD in an attempt to encourage economic trade and development. The
castle however became derelict over the centuries, finally disappearing
from Forres in the early 17th century when it is believed the stones from
its walls were used to construct other buildings in the growing
town. There is the ancient Pictish Suenos stone, which is the oldest
remaining sculpted stone, made in Scotland during the early medieval
period. A more recent monument is Nelsons Tower; built in 1806 as a
memorial to Lord Nelson.
Further information can be found at: www.forres-net.co.uk
and www.forresweb.net
Rafford
Approximately
three miles to the South of Forres on the B9010 is Rafford a small but
attractive village with a Parish Church.
Dallas
The
old village of Dallas lies in the heart of rural Moray, on the eastern
bank of the river Lossie, eight miles from the town of Forres and ten from
the city of Elgin. The name of the village is though to be derived
from the Gaelic Dallas meaning "valley of water." This is
further confirmed when the position of the village is looked at, the
village lies in a small river valley which flows into the river
Lossie. Dallas itself is part of Dallas estates, which covers
approximately 20,000 acres. The land is either farmed or is forested
with moorland adding to its diversity.
Kinloss
According
to statistical accounts the name Kinloss derives from the Celtic words
cean-loch, meaning the head of the loch. Tradition has another
derivation that the name signifies "the headland of flowers" or
"the cell of flowers". These spring from the legend of the
body of Duff Mac Malcolm, King of Scotland, having been murdered in the
castle at Forres was left lying for some time under a bridge within the
parish of Kinloss. According to legend the sun did not shine for 20
days. The body, once found, was placed in a nearby cell or chapel at
which point the sun began to shine and the area was surrounded by the
"miraculous blooming of myraids of flowers."
Within Kinloss are the Abbey ruins, which
was founded in 1150 by King David 1. Standing within the grounds
today you can imagine how impressive the abbey once was. There are
remains of the church, mansion and other monastic buildings. The
Abbey was destroyed in 1652 when Cromwell's soldiers purchased the stones
to build the citadel of Inverness. From that time onwards the stones
were taken and used as materials for houses and granaries within the
neighbouhood until the trustee on the estate stopped the spoilation.
Contained within the grounds today are the
Commonwealth War graves for fallen men from WWII, those serving with the
Australian, Canadian and N.Z Air Forces plus others from the Royal Air
Force.
Findhorn
The
present village of Findhorn is the third to be so named, it replaces the
previous two settlement which disappeared under the sands in 1702.
The name signifies in Gaelic "the mouth of the Erne" and was at
one time known to Highlanders as Invererne.
The three villages of Findhorn were
important settlements, each playing its part in the economy of the area as
a bustling port. The wharves would have been lined with warehouses
containing produce from many countries. In addition, the fishing
industry played a key part in the life of the villagers right up until the
first quarter of the last century. The men folk would go to sea
returning in the early morning where the women would share out the catch
amongst the crew. Even the children were involved, they would
collect mussels from the mussel scaups to be used as bait. Further
information on the history of the village can be found within the Heritage
Centre.
The Foundation is an ecological village,
where people both work and reside. There are over 30 different
businesses and initiatives within the community, the main theme of which
encourages a sustainable way of life. There are ecological
buildings, a wind generator, nature sanctuary, organic garden and
biological sewage treatment plant all of which strengthen the sustainable
life style.
It is an educational trust that provides
activities in education, community and caring for the environment.
There is a visitor centre, which is open from May to October, and courses
running throughout the year. There is also the facility for day
visitors to tour the grounds and enjoy the peaceful
surroundings.
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