Tolbooth, High Street, Forres

The Tolbooth in Forres, designed by William Robertson between 1838 and 1839, is a notable example of Scottish Baronial architecture. The building features finely stugged ashlar stonework and rubble on Tolbooth Street, with tooled ashlar dressings.

This three-storey courthouse is highlighted by an impressive three-stage tower topped with a belfry, which closely resembles the earlier structure it replaced. The entrance is located on the west face of the tower, featuring a round-arched head within deeply splayed reveals. A string course rises above the door and a window on the north elevation. Above, round-arched windows are adorned with a string course that acts as a square hoodmould. The tower is capped with a corbelled stepped parapet and bartizans, while the smaller clock stage also features a similarly detailed parapet with bartizans and conical caps. The tall belfry stage includes round-arched openings, a cable-moulded cornice, and a tall bell-cast roof topped with a crowning cupola and a weather vane shaped like a gilded cock.

The courthouse and jail extend to the east and south, consisting of three storeys. The High Street facade has two bays, while the Tolbooth Street side has nine bays. The High Street windows are square-headed, with corbelled, squared bartizans on the outer bay. The courtroom is situated to the south and features two round-headed windows on the first floor facing east and west, along with three smaller round-headed windows and a pend on the ground floor. The Tolbooth Street side has multi-pane glazing and four bays dedicated to the jail.

Inside, the tower contains vaulted rooms, and the courtroom boasts a coffered ceiling with stained glass windows. Some late 19th-century courtroom fittings are still present.