Fochabers is a village in the Parish of Bellie, in Moray, Scotland, 10 miles (16 kilometres) eastern of the cathedral city of Elgin as well as situated on the east bank of the River Spey. 1,728 people live in the town, which enjoys a rich musical and social background. The village is also residence to Baxters, the family-run maker of foods items. The village owes its existence to Alexander Gordon, fourth Duke of Gordon (1743-1827). During the late-eighteenth century, throughout the Scottish Enlightenment, it was stylish for landowners to found brand-new towns as well as towns; these can be identified all over Scotland, since unlike their predecessors they all have directly, broad roads in generally rectangle-shaped formats, a central square, and your homes developed with their major elevations parallel to the street. The lessees took advantage of more spacious homes, and also the Duke, it has to be stated, taken advantage of not having the hoi polloi living in hovels precisely the front door of Gordon Castle. Fochabers was founded in 1776, and is one of the very best instances of a prepared town. It is a sanctuary, with the majority of the structures in the High Street detailed as being of historic or architectural interest, as is Bellie Kirk, the Roman Catholic church St. Mary's Fochabers, which houses works by notable artisans, and the Episcopalian church, Gordon Chapel, which boasts the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite tarnished glass in Scotland. Electrical power was given the village in 1906 by Charles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond provided from a little hydro-electric generating station built in 1905 in the Quarters area on the financial institutions of the fast-flowing Spey. For a while in the mid-twentieth century, Fochabers was the residence of three duchesses - Hilda, Duchess of Richmond as well as Gordon; Ivy, Duchess of Portland and also Helen, Duchess of Northumberland. Between 1893 as well as 1966 the town had a railway station, Fochabers Community, although after 1931 this was open only to products. For virtually three decades, the people of Fochabers campaigned for a bypass, as the village is situated on the A96, the only direct route from Aberdeen to Inverness, and subsequently suffers from severe web traffic issues. Construction service a bypass for Fochabers and the adjoining town of Mosstodloch began on 2 February 2010 as well as was finished in January 2012, at an expense of £31,500,000. The task was dramatically delayed due to contrast regarding the suggested path, as well as discovery of a Neolithic settlement on the site of the bypass.