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Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch


Postby HighlandSC » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:34 pm

Route description: Sanquhar Loch and Nelson Tower, Forres

Date walked: 28/05/2011

Time taken: 1.3 hours

Distance: 3.4 km

Ascent: 100m

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Date - Sat 28/05/2011
Title - Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch
Route - Circuit from Orchard Rd to Grant Park, up hill to Nelsons Tower then down and W to Sanquhar Loch before returning to start.
Weather - Sunshine & showers
People - Me
Time - 1h 20m
Distance - 3.4km
Ascent - 100m


Forres (inc Grant Park, Nelsons Tower, Sanquhar) Route GPX 3.4km 28-05-2011.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Forres (inc Grant Park, Nelsons Tower, Sanquhar) Route Profile 28-05-2011.jpg
Born and brought up in Forres, I've visited these places more times than I can remember. As a child and teenager we spent a lot of time climbing in the trees around Sanquhar, mountain biking down from Nelsons Tower, and lots of Football in Grant Park. Living out of town now I don't visit them much so thought I'd have a wander round them once more a couple of weeks ago as an alternative to facing the ferocious weather on the hills this weekend.

The walkhighlands route makes a bigger circuit further East out of town also taking in Muiry Woods and Chapelton, but for this walk I did a shorter one only visiting Grant Park, Nelsons Tower and Sanquhar Pond.

Mosset burn
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Mosset duck pond
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Grant Park
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Leaving the open park, the path goes up Cluny Hill to Nelsons tower. Seemed like a massive hill when I was a kid- it's about 90m high :lol:
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There's a network of paths that lead in different directions throughout the woods. Just keep heading up hill and soon enough Nelsons Tower (70ft high) is reached
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No flag flying today- and that usually means the tower is also shut to visitors. Opening times and further detail: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_626.html

It was built as a memorial to Nelson following his victory in Spain. Moray council have a leaflet explaining the history in more detail http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file978.pdf
An extract:
Nelson's Tower, situated on the top of Cluny Hill, Forres, was built as a memorial to Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1806.

After his victory over Napoleon's fleet at Cape Trafalgar in Spain, 21st October 1805, Nelson became a national hero. Nelson was killed during the battle and various memorials were set up around the country, including Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London and Nelson's Monument on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh.

In 1806, the community of Forres began building its own memorial tower to Nelson on Cluny Hill. Designed as a monument to departed heroism, it was paid for through subscription which was organised by prominent members of the community. Approximately £610 was raised from 269 subscribers.


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A few pics from the top of the tower on a different day:

W over Forres
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N to Findhorn bay
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Back to today- there's a bench at the base of the tower with an opening in the trees giving some nice views.

Findhorn Bay, and across the Moray Firth to Cromarty (or possibly the hills near Helmsdale in the background- I'm not sure).
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Fact about Cluny Hill- They used to roll witches down the hill inside a barrel full of spikes, before burning them at the bottom. http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/15807/details/the+witches+stone/

I made my way down SE from the tower, skirting round a crater in the ground known as "Devils Pit"- I forget why and can't find anything on it.

Knowing all the shortcuts around here, I took this one down to join the path leading to Devils Pit
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Some massive trees
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As the trees are in their summer clothes it's hard to see down, but these pics are from the top about 20m above the Devils Pit
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I carried on through the woods SW eventually leaving them and joining St Leonards Rd
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Directly across the road you pick up the path leading down to Sanquhar Pond
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Sanquhar Pond
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Pic from 2007
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Ducks, swans and other birds can often be seen nesting on the island in the middle
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Buckfast bottle- Stretch must have been in the area
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From Sanquhar it's a 10 min walk past Roysvale Park back to the centre of Forres
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Rainbow at the train station
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:D
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HighlandSC
 
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby Stretch » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:11 pm

Look man, when I'm on the Buckie I don't know what I'm doin. :lol: Nice little stroll though!
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby gammy leg walker » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:46 pm

Stretch wrote:Look man, when I'm on the Buckie I don't know what I'm doin.



Aonach Eagach maybe. :lol: :lol:


Sorry to hi-jack your report highland sc,but he asked for this. :lol:


PS nice walk in a nice part of Scotland
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby HighlandSC » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:52 pm

Hi-jack away gammy :lol:
2 bottles and I think he'd traverse the cuillin in 5 hours- and wake up in the Slig campsite in the morning asking you all what happened :lol:
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby gammy leg walker » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:58 pm

HighlandSC wrote:2 bottles and I think he'd traverse the cuillin in 5 hours



Man I would not want to be anywhere near if he drank two bottles.


Just as well the big man is going home soon,who knows where he might end up,if he really got a taste for the "buckie"
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby Stretch » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:04 pm

The lads said last weekend that I should take some to the US and start a smuggling biz there! :lol:
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby gammy leg walker » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:10 pm

Stretch wrote:The lads said last weekend that I should take some to the US and start a smuggling biz there!



I think you should take one bottle back home as a reminder of your time here,who knows if you dont drink it,it may become a vintage wine and make you a pile of money some day
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby HighlandSC » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:23 pm

gammy leg walker wrote:it may become a vintage wine and make you a pile of money some day

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Stretch wrote:The lads said last weekend that I should take some to the US and start a smuggling biz there! :lol:

:lol: I'm tempted to take a couple of bottles over next month for my perma-drunk redneck mullet man neighbour
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Re: Forres - Grant Park, Nelsons Tower & Sanquhar Loch

Postby Michelle » Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:49 am

HighlandSC wrote: :lol: I'm tempted to take a couple of bottles over next month for my perma-drunk redneck mullet man neighbour


That would be like feeding fire to a dragon. You don't want to create that monster, trust me!!! :lol:
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