Photo: Stevanhogg / Forfar Loch (1).jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
Forfar is a good choice when you want an afternoon that stays manageable. A free museum, a loch walk and a local bakery stop can fill a few enjoyable hours without becoming a packed itinerary.
There are more active possibilities too, including seasonal ice skating and bookable sports facilities. Decide whether you want conversation, a shared activity or a mixture, then choose one main idea from this guide.
Forfar’s attractions are not all on the same street. Restenneth Priory and the sports venues need their own travel arrangements. Our Dundee and Angus guide compares these town plans with larger outings around the region.
1. Browse art and local stories at the Meffan
The free Meffan Museum and Art Gallery brings together Forfar’s history and changing art exhibitions. Its reconstructed Vennel, with workshops and a sweet shop, gives you a tangible way into the town’s past.
You can also see Pictish stones and archaeological finds, then move into the galleries for a different kind of conversation. Choose a favourite work each and compare what drew you to it.
This is an easy indoor starting point for a date, especially when you want the option of a short visit. Leave time for the parts that interest you rather than trying to give every display equal attention.
Check the seasonal opening days before travelling. The museum has a lift to the upper galleries, with detailed access information available from ANGUSalive if you need to plan the visit more closely.
2. Walk beside Forfar Loch
Forfar Loch Country Park offers a waterside route close to the town. The full circuit is about two and a half miles, so it can provide a proper walk without requiring a hillwalking day.
Allow roughly an hour to an hour and a half if you want a leisurely circuit with pauses. That is a suggested pace, not a target: a shorter out-and-back walk may suit your meeting better.
Look for birds, enjoy the changing views across the water and let the movement take the pressure off constant conversation. Bring an extra layer and shoes that can handle damp ground.
Check current path information if surface conditions or access are important to you. Although the route is promoted for a wide range of abilities, weather and temporary works can change the experience.
3. Make lunch part of discovering Forfar
The Forfar Bridie gives a bakery stop a local connection. The traditional version is a savoury pastry with minced beef, with recipes and onion choices varying between bakers.
You could make lunch the centre of a short date: choose a bakery or tearoom, order what you actually fancy and take your time over it. There is no need to turn the visit into a competitive tasting tour.
If either person avoids meat or has dietary requirements, check the menu first and choose somewhere with an option they will enjoy. The point is sharing lunch, not insisting that everyone tries the same local speciality.
A town-centre meal pairs naturally with the Meffan. If you are taking food to the loch, bring what you need and take litter away, with an indoor alternative if the weather changes.
4. Try seasonal skating at Forfar Indoor Sports
Forfar Indoor Sports runs public ice-skating sessions during its winter season. It is a playful choice when both people are happy to spend some of the date learning, wobbling or practising a familiar skill.
Check the session calendar and book ahead, particularly for popular public skates. The building also hosts other sports, so general opening hours do not mean the ice is available for casual skating.
Wear layers and gloves, and ask about skate hire when booking. If one person is confident and the other is new, agree that the beginner sets the pace.
Do not assume ice skating is available all year. The operator also offers seasonal roller skating, but that has its own timetable. Choose the activity that is actually running on your date, rather than treating them as interchangeable bookings.
5. Have a game at Forfar Community Campus
Forfar Community Campus has indoor sports facilities, a squash court and outdoor tennis courts. A booked court can give your date a clear focus without needing a whole day or a long drive.
Contact the centre about the racquet-sport session you want, equipment hire and casual booking arrangements. Availability can depend on other activities, so confirm the court rather than relying on the centre’s general opening times.
Choose a game that suits both experience levels. A gentle tennis rally outdoors has a different feel from a fast squash session, and the more experienced player should be prepared to adapt.
Leave time afterwards to cool down and change. You can add something to eat in town if you want to continue, but a cheerful hour of play can be enough on its own.
6. Visit the ruins at Restenneth Priory
Restenneth Priory, near Forfar, offers a quieter historic stop with free admission. Its surviving tower and ruins make a strong impression without requiring a long indoor tour.
This is an exterior visit. Some areas are fenced off, and there is no access inside the surviving buildings. You can view the ruins from the paths and grassed areas while respecting those boundaries.
Give it time for a slow look around, then continue with lunch or another modest plan. It works better as a deliberate short outing than as the sole reason for a long journey in poor weather.
Check the approach and current visitor information before setting off. The rural setting and outdoor surfaces make it a different proposition from the town-centre museum, particularly if either person needs step-free, firm paths.
Three Forfar date plans
Art and a local lunch
Meet at the Meffan on an opening day, choose a few displays to explore and then find a bakery or tearoom. Allow around two hours, with the pace set by what catches your interest.
A gentle outdoor afternoon
Walk part or all of the loch circuit, then head into town for something warm. Agree the distance before starting so that the date feels comfortable for both people.
An evening on the ice
Book a public skating session during the winter programme. Keep any food afterwards flexible, and choose an alternative indoor plan if skating turns out to be the enthusiasm of only one person.
Practical choices before you go
Forfar does not have a passenger railway station. Check bus connections and return times if you are travelling without a car, especially when the date involves an evening sports session.
The museum, loch and town-centre food options can form a relaxed daytime visit. Treat Restenneth and the sports facilities as planned destinations, rather than trying to fit all six ideas into one outing.
For another day, see Arbroath, Montrose or Dundee. Our regional guide adds castle visits, smaller towns and countryside stops.