Fochabers

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Fochabers
Fachabair or Fothabair (Gaelic)


OS grid reference:	NJ345585



Population:	1,499



Council area:	Moray, Independent
Constituent country:	Scotland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom

Police force:
Lieutenancy area:	Moray
Former county:	Moray

Post town:	Fochabers
Postal:	IV32
Telephone:	01343


Scottish Parliament:	Moray: Richard Lochhead, Scottish National Party
UK Parliament:	Moray: Angus Robertson, Scottish National Party
European Parliament:	Scotland

Fochabers is a village in the Parish of Bellie, in Moray, Scotland, not far from the cathedral city of Elgin and located on the east bank of the River Spey. Around 2,000 people live in the village, which enjoys a rich musical and cultural history. The village is also home to Baxters [1], the family-run manufacturer of foodstuffs.

There are two schools in Fochabers, Milne's Primary School (formerly Milne's Institution) and Milne's High School, which currently serves approximately 600 pupils from Fochabers itself and the surrounding villages. Milne's Institution was originally built in accordance with Alexander Milne's Last Will and Testament, using money ($100,000) he left for this purpose.

For some time the people of Fochabers have been campaigning for a town bypass, as the village is situated on the A96, the only direct route from Aberdeen to Inverness, and consequently suffers from a serious traffic problem. After nearly twenty years of campaigning, however, the village remains without a bypass. The Scottish Executive announced on 17 March 2005 that it had approved construction of a bypass to the north of the village. Work will begin in 2008 and should be completed by 2010, at a cost of £18-21m. The decision follows an Inquiry in 2003, which focused on the loss of part of the designed landscape of Gordon Castle and the environmental impacts on adjacent properties. The bypass will also provide relief for Mosstodloch to the west.