Forres landmarks, residents and business people will feature in a BBC One programme that was filmed this week in the town.
Escape to the Country is a house-hunting programme that follows city-dwellers looking to get out of the rat race in search of a slower paced life in the country.
In this episode, a couple from Lancashire came to explore Forres and all it had to offer. They were shown around the town, shopped in some of the shops and took the 96 steps up Nelson’s Tower to take in the breathtaking views.
Wonderful Forres
While in the town, they visited the Mosset Tavern. Owner Gordon Brailsford said the couple commented on how wonderful Forres and Moray is.
He said: “Their search took them as far as John O’Groats, but they came back to the Moray coast.
“They were struck by how beautiful the town is and were impressed how friendly the people are and the strong sense of community.”
They also sampled some of Maclean’s Bakery produce, and owner Lewis Maclean added: “The two contestants were filmed getting served in the shop.
“They were very interested to know what the community spirit was like what sort of shops were good on the High Street.”
“The film crew and contestants were very friendly and interacted with our staff and contestants. It’s brilliant that the film crew choose Forres to do some filming as it can only help improve tourism in the area. Tourism is the one industry that benefits every business in the area.”
Fantastic exposure
Gordon echoed the value of having the town aired on national TV: “Having this exposure is simply fantastic for the area, for settlement, tourism and future development.
“The film crew were lovely too and it was really interesting to see what goes behind making programmes we see on TV every day.”
Victorian Johnstone-Butler also hosted the film crew at The Loft Glamping and Camping at East Grange Farm.
“I truly feel our special Forres location really is a hidden gem in Scotland and feel passionately about promoting it to a wider audience both as a fantastic destination to visit but also, from my personal experience, of Forres and Moray Speyside as a place to make your home.
“We prepared a few cabins for them for filming with our wood-fired hot tubs steaming in the cooler days of October to highlight the all-season availability of glamping and camping in Moray.
“I tried to mention all the things we have locally, great outdoor fun, walking, running, nature and adventure and the historic and whisky! We have so much here! They were particularly interested in the community spirit in Forres and I mentioned the passion exhibited by different groups in Forres and the diverse community we are lucky to live in.
Boost to the area
“The opportunity for Forres and the stunning Moray Coast to be on national TV will I believe be a boost to the local area as without a doubt these type of programmes do inspire people to travel to new locations.
“I believe it will show that smaller, rural and coastal towns of Scotland are worth travelling to for holidays but also the benefits and special opportunities there are of making them your home.
She added that the film team seemed impressed with the area and seemed genuinely enamoured with what they had seen here, saying that even on their days off they had been filming as it was so beautiful!
“Fingers crossed we make the editing cut!”
Escape to the Country, now in its 23rd season, has been running for 20 years and totted up some 650 shows to date.
Naked, the company making the programmes since 2021, travelled from Buckinghamshire and spent three days in Forres.
The episode will air in Spring 2023.
Main picture: Lorretta Oliphant from FACT (Forres Area Community Trust) with the camera crew at the Tolbooth.