Forres Hotels: Where to Stay in Moray

Forres is a Royal Burgh in Moray with a short list of places to sleep. This guide covers the hotels in Forres we could confirm, plus guest houses, a former hotel now used as a college, and a hotel facing a change of use. The old version of this post named five hotels. We could not confirm any of them, so we removed them. We took addresses and phone numbers from the properties and from local tourism sources. Rates change daily, so we do not quote them. Call before you book and confirm every detail.

Compare Forres, Moray (council area), Scotland hotels on Expedia

Hotels in Forres: What Is Open Now

Ramnee Hotel

The Ramnee Hotel is the best known hotel in Forres. The address is Victoria Road, Forres, Moray IV36 3BN. Call 01309 672410 or write to info@ramneehotel.com.

The hotel describes the building as an Edwardian villa from 1907, built as a country house in the arts and crafts style. The Moray Speyside tourism site lists 18 bedrooms and places the hotel in a leafy parkland district of Forres with landscaped gardens.

The hotel offers three room grades. Master rooms have seating areas, superior rooms add space, and classic rooms suit shorter stays. The hotel runs a restaurant with Scottish dishes and a bar. The hotel site gives bar and restaurant hours of 12:00 to 19:45 daily, so check the hours before you plan a late dinner. A function room called Culbin hosts conferences and events.

Parking is available. Plan for stairs, because the hotel states the bedrooms have no lift and no ground floor rooms. Staff help with luggage. Guests with mobility needs should call and describe their needs.

The Insider reported a change of ownership. SC Hospitality Group bought the hotel from a family who had owned the building for 32 years. The new owners planned to modernise the hotel and keep its history. We could not find check-in times, check-out times, or a pet policy, so ask the front desk.

Pick the Ramnee if you want a traditional hotel with a restaurant and bar under one roof.

Cluny Bank Hotel

Cluny Bank Hotel stands at 69 St Leonards Road, Forres, Moray IV36 1DW. The Visit Forres directory lists the phone as 01309 674304 and the email as relax@clunybankhotel.co.uk. Visit Forres calls the property a luxury Victorian bed and breakfast. The hotel name and the bed and breakfast label both appear in local sources.

The Moray Speyside listing describes a Victorian hotel with seven en suite bedrooms and space for twelve guests. The mix includes three double or twin rooms, two double rooms, and two single rooms. An older trade report from The Caterer mentioned ten bedrooms, so room numbers have changed over time. Ask the owners for the current count.

Rooms include tea and coffee facilities, bottled water, a hairdryer, toiletries, and free Wi-Fi. The listing also names a lounge bar and a restaurant, accessible parking and drop-off, and a welcome for anglers, cyclists, golfers, and children. Exclusive use is available for groups.

The Press and Journal reviewed the hotel restaurant in 2016. The paper described an historic listed building with Victorian architecture and candlelit dining. Owners Lloyd and Julia Kenny ran the business then. The Moray Speyside listing says the restaurant has held an AA Rosette. We could not confirm who runs the hotel today or whether the restaurant opens every evening, so call first.

Pick Cluny Bank for a small, quiet stay near the town centre.

Blervie House

Blervie House sits on an estate in Rafford, Forres, Moray IV36 2RU, outside the town. VisitScotland lists the property as a five star guest house with 12 rooms for up to 23 people. The Visit Forres directory lists the phone as 01309 674629. The VisitScotland trade page gives a mobile number of 07711213814. Use either number and confirm the booking details.

VisitScotland says the house suits independent travelers and small groups. Dining, whisky tasting, and piper services are available by pre-arrangement. The house holds a Silver Green Tourism Award. VisitScotland places the estate about 30 minutes from Inverness and names Loch Ness, the Cairngorms National Park, Culloden, and the Malt Whisky Trail as nearby trips.

We found no check-in times on either source. Ask about them when you call. A car makes sense here, because the house lies in the countryside near Rafford.

Pick Blervie House for a group trip or a special stay in a country setting.

Knockomie Lodge Bed and Breakfast

Knockomie Lodge stands on Grantown Road, Forres, Moray IV36 2SG. The phone is 01309 694818. The lodge website describes a bed and breakfast, not a hotel. Two guest rooms are on offer. Roseisle is a downstairs king room. Findhorn is a first floor double. Both have an en suite bathroom, a seating area, a hot drinks tray, a television, and free Wi-Fi.

The lodge serves a cooked Scottish or continental breakfast with homemade muesli, jams, and marmalade. Guests can store bikes and canoes and use drying facilities. The website lists check-in from 4 PM and asks guests to register by 6 PM, or by 9 PM with prior arrangement. A guest lounge offers a television, books, and games.

The building began as a gate house in the early 1900s. The website says the lodge uses a biomass boiler and low energy lighting. The Visit Forres directory lists the lodge on Grantown Road with the same phone number.

Pick Knockomie Lodge for a quiet bed and breakfast with a host. With only two rooms, book early.

Other Bed and Breakfasts and Self-Catering Stays

Visit Forres lists dozens of other stays around the town. Most are bed and breakfasts, holiday cottages, and caravan parks. We confirmed only a few details for each, so treat the list below as a starting point.

Reiver House Bed and Breakfast stands on Victoria Road, Forres IV36 3BN. The listed phone is 01309 696990. April Rise stands at 16 Forbes Road, Forres IV36 1HP. The listed phone is 01309 674066. Morven Bed and Breakfast stands on Caroline Street, Forres IV36 1AN. The listed phone is 01309 673788. We checked each entry in one directory only, so confirm the details with the owner.

Self-catering suits families and longer visits. Visit Forres lists self-catering cottages around Findhorn and Forres. The National Trust for Scotland also lists self-catering lodges at Brodie Castle. Visit Forres gives the National Trust booking line as 0844 493 2108.

Campers have choices too. Visit Forres lists glamping and camping sites, caravan parks, and a hostel in Findhorn village. We did not verify facilities, seasons, or fees, so ask each site.

Former Hotels and Closed Places in Forres

Several names still appear on booking sites and older articles. Read this section before you reserve.

Cluny Hill Hotel is no longer a hotel. The Victorian building opened in 1864 as the Cluny Hill Hydropathic. A hotel company ran the building after the Second World War. The Findhorn Foundation bought the building in 1975 and renamed the site Cluny Hill College. The Forres Gazette reported in April 2024 the foundation had listed the former college for sale. We found no confirmation of the current use. Book elsewhere if a site still sells rooms at Cluny Hill Hotel.

Knockomie Hotel faces a change of use. A planning application for Knockomie Hotel on Grantown Road proposed a change from hotel to student accommodation. Moray Council received the application on 13 May 2024. We could not confirm the outcome, so we do not list the hotel as a place to book. Booking sites still show the name, which creates risk. Phone before you rely on any Knockomie Hotel listing. The separate Knockomie Lodge bed and breakfast above has its own listing and website.

The old version of this post also named the Cluny House Hotel, the Georgian Hotel, Coltfield House Hotel, Premier Inn Forres, and Darrochlea House. We could not confirm any of the five as a current place to stay. Premier Inn does not list a Forres hotel. Its Nairn page shows Inverness and Elgin hotels instead. We removed all five entries. Never book a name without checking the property phone number or website.

Where to Stay in Forres: What to Plan Around

Forres works well as a base for the Moray coast and the Malt Whisky Trail. The Moray Speyside listing for the Ramnee names Findhorn, the Malt Whisky Trail, golf courses, fishing, and walking and cycling routes between Speyside and Inverness as nearby options.

Benromach Distillery sits at Invererne Road, Forres IV36 3EB. The phone is 01309 675968. VisitScotland says the distillery offers guided tours with a tutored tasting, plus a visitor centre. Tour times change, so book ahead.

Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery sits on Mannachie Road, Forres IV36 2RR, on the south side of town. Historic Environment Scotland lists the site on its visitor pages and says tour bookings go through the Dallas Dhu Distillery site. The site has a level path from the car park and a step-free visitor centre.

Sueno’s Stone stands on Findhorn Road, Forres IV36 3WX. The seven metre Pictish cross slab carries a battle scene and a royal inauguration scene. Historic Environment Scotland says the site is free and open all year.

Brodie Castle is a National Trust for Scotland property with a turreted castle, estate walks, a playful garden, and a cafe. The Trust offers guided castle tours and says the grounds open daily. Check the Trust site for current tour times and the car park charge.

The Falconer Museum on Tolbooth Street holds Moray heritage collections. The Moray Council page lists seasonal hours, but the Forres Gazette says the museum closed in 2019. The paper reports a plan for partial reopening as early as 2026. Confirm the status before you visit.

Visit Forres also names Nelson’s Tower as a local attraction. The Wikipedia page for Cluny Hill describes a tower built in 1806 and an Iron Age hillfort on the hill.

Getting to Forres by Train

Forres station sits on the Aberdeen to Inverness line between Nairn and Elgin. ScotRail runs the station. Wikipedia reports about seventeen daily departures each way on weekdays and Saturdays, with most trains running between Aberdeen and Inverness. The current station opened on 17 October 2017.

Train times change. Check the ScotRail timetable for your date. We did not source drive times or airport transfer details for this guide, so check a map for your route by car.

How to Choose a Hotel in Forres

Choose the Ramnee Hotel if you want a restaurant, a bar, and hotel facilities in one building. Plan for stairs, because the hotel has no lift.

Choose Cluny Bank Hotel if you want a small Victorian property with a handful of rooms. Confirm the current operator and restaurant hours when you call.

Choose Blervie House if you travel in a group and want a country estate with five stars. Bring a car.

Choose Knockomie Lodge if you want a host, a cooked breakfast, and a quiet room. Only two rooms exist, so book early.

Choose a self-catering cottage if you plan a longer stay or travel with children. Ask the owner about linen, parking, and check-in.

Before you pay, confirm the property name on the building, the cancellation terms, parking, breakfast hours, and late arrival rules. Ask for a total with taxes and fees. Compare the total by phone and on two booking sites.

What We Checked and What We Could Not

We checked the Ramnee Hotel against the hotel site, the Moray Speyside listing, and The Insider. We checked Cluny Bank Hotel against the Moray Speyside listing, the Visit Forres directory, The Caterer, and the Press and Journal. We checked Blervie House against VisitScotland and Visit Forres. We checked Knockomie Lodge against its own site and Visit Forres. We took Knockomie Hotel planning facts from the Moray planning record. We took attraction details from Historic Environment Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, VisitScotland, the Moray Council, and the Forres Gazette.

We could not confirm current rates, check-in times for the Ramnee Hotel and Blervie House, the pet policy at any property, the current operator of Cluny Bank Hotel, the outcome of the Knockomie Hotel planning application, or the current use of Cluny Hill. Phone numbers and policies change. Confirm each detail with the property before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Forres offers a short and honest list of places to stay. The Ramnee Hotel gives you a full hotel with a restaurant. Cluny Bank Hotel, Blervie House, and Knockomie Lodge give you smaller and quieter options. Cluny Hill is no longer a hotel and Knockomie Hotel faces a change of use. Call ahead, confirm the property name and policies, and book early for your trip to Forres.

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