Fochabers is a village in the Parish of Bellie, in Moray, Scotland, 10 miles (16 km) east of the cathedral city of Elgin and located on the eastern bank of the River Spey. 1,728 people reside in the town, which appreciates a rich music and social background. The town is also residence to Baxters, the family-run maker of foods. The village owes its existence to Alexander Gordon, fourth Duke of Gordon (1743-1827). During the late-eighteenth century, during the Scottish Enlightenment, it was classy for landowners to discovered new towns and also villages; these can be identified around Scotland, due to the fact that unlike their predecessors they all have directly, large roads in generally rectangular formats, a main square, and the houses developed with their major elevations parallel to the street. The lessees took advantage of even more large homes, as well as the Battle each other, it needs to be stated, gained from not having the hoi polloi living in hovels right on the doorstep of Gordon Castle. Fochabers was founded in 1776, and is just one of the best instances of a prepared village. It is a sanctuary, with a lot of the structures in the High Street provided as being of historic or building passion, as is Bellie Kirk, the Roman Catholic church St. Mary's Fochabers, which houses works by significant artisans, and the Episcopalian church, Gordon Chapel, which flaunts the biggest collection of Pre-Raphaelite stained glass in Scotland. Electrical power was brought to the town in 1906 by Charles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond supplied from a small hydro-electric creating station built in 1905 in the Quarters district on the financial institutions of the fast-flowing Spey. Temporarily in the mid-twentieth century, Fochabers was the house of three duchesses - Hilda, Duchess of Richmond and also Gordon; Ivy, Duchess of Portland and also Helen, Duchess of Northumberland. Between 1893 and also 1966 the town had a railway station, Fochabers Town, although after 1931 this was open just to products. For virtually 3 years, individuals of Fochabers advocated a bypass, as the town is positioned on the A96, the only direct route from Aberdeen to Inverness, and also consequently suffers from significant traffic problems. Construction work on a bypass for Fochabers and the adjoining village of Mosstodloch began on 2 February 2010 and also was finished in January 2012, at an expense of £31,500,000. The project was substantially delayed because of clash pertaining to the proposed path, as well as exploration of a Neolithic settlement on the site of the bypass.