Forres is blessed with some beautiful pockets of woodland that reach almost into the heart of this fine town. Many of them are explored on this waymarked circular that feels like it is much further out in the countryside.
Bog Factor
Good footpaths throughout, waymarked.
Victoria Road car park, Forres.
Forres is served by buses and trains.
NJ042592
The bridge over the Burn of Mosset at Stage 4 is currently closed - if you can't cross, the circuit cannot be completed and you will need to retrace the outward route or use the map on the Walkhighlands app to find alternative paths back. Please let us know if the bridge has reopened.
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Park at the Victoria Road car park, just to the east of the town centre; it is signed for the Nelson Tower. This walk is waymarked with yellow arrows although there isn't one at the start. Begin up the track at the back of the car park, with a fence on your left. Keep ahead to head up the steps that lead to the left up into the woods. These lead to a broad path; turn briefly left along this and then right up some more steps. Keep ahead, bearing left onto another broad path which curves left uphill through the trees. The path now climbs gently round the eastern slopes of the finely wooded Cluny Hill; topped by the memorial Tower (not in view from here), a much-loved Forres landmark. A visit to the tower is left until the end of the walk. For now, ignore a first path off to the right and then take a very sharp left turn further on - this is well-waymarked. Turn right at the next junction and continue along an obvious avenue of conifers. Soon there is a deep depression to the right of the route - Helgy's Hole; ignore minor paths that lead down into this.
Turn right at a junction, still keeping above Helgy's Hole on your right, to soon reach a cross-roads of routes. Turn left here downhill; it becomes a tarmac lane, eventually passing a beautiful house (on your left) before emerging on St Leonard's Road. Cross this and take the track opposite. This becomes a path between houses and leads down towards a suburban road. At the road turn left on the path that is initially alongside a wall. It soon leads into the woods. Follow this as it curves right and descends steps to reach the lovely Mosset Burn. Turn right on the path alongside the burn; this soon flows into Sanquhar's Loch. Continue to reach a parking area and road.
Turn left along the road, passing the outflow weir; there are usually ducks and swans. Turn left again onto a path before the first house, soon forking right to climb above the loch. When it forks again keep right, uphill, to join and continue along a track ahead. Go straight ahead when this meets a minor road to enter the Sanquhar Woodlands, owned by a local trust. Keep an eye out for deer on the next section. Ignore a couple of paths off right and left, then just after an open grassy area on your right bear left at a T-junction (300m after entering the woods) - the waymarker is missing here. After another 200m take a left just before the end of the woods - watch for the marker. When the path forks keep right; the route climbs through the trees; take a right turn (marked) at the next junction. The path comes close to the edge of the woods and has good views out across the farmland - bear left, passing a bench at one point.
The path leads eventually to a descent - either in a gentle zig-zag or directly down steps - to a wooden footbridge over the Mosset Burn. Cross this and follow the path up the bank on the far side. Now turn left, keeping the drop on your left and a fence on the right, and soon reach some modern houses, keep straight on here to pass the whitewashed Chapelton Farm. Keep straight ahead along a tarred lane and emerge on St Leonard's Road opposite the lovely architecture of the former Leanchoill Hospital. Turn right along the road - there is a pavement and continue until just after the last house on the left. Turn left through the small Council Wood car park, and go straight ahead on the track from the far end, past a plan of the Muiry woodlands.
Keep ahead at a cross-paths. Eventually, at a signed junction, turn left onto a smaller path that winds between the Scots pines, eventually reaching a cross-roads of routes; again turn left as signposted, and finally left again at a T-junction. This is an old right of way; continue along it; there are now good open views to the right towards Findhorn. Keep ahead, passing along the edge of a housing estate, to emerge on a road at the cemetery. Turn right and follow the road uphill, passing the modern building which now serves as a baptist church and continuing along the road to the right.
Just after a bend to the right between stone walls a signed path goes off to the left. Take this; at the next junction it rejoins the outward route. Turn right here, and then sharp right at the next junction to retrace your steps. The way back is soon signed off to the right. Before taking this turn it is well worth detouring to visit Nelson's Tower from here by continuing ahead and eventually taking a sharp left turn and then another left to climb up to it. Commemorating the Battles of Trafalgar and others commanded by Nelson, the tower is open to the public in the summer usually for a couple of hours each afternoon. There are great views across the Moray Firth and a picnic table. Return back to the outward route and retrace your steps down the two flights of wooden steps to return to the car park.
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