Hollywood star Ewan McGregor has turned into Santa’s Little Helper for his hometown of Crieff after the actor’s social media message helped attract 4,000 festive fun-lovers to the Perthshire town.
The Trainspotting celebrity posted a video supporting the Crieff Christmas Post Office, the only one of its kind in Scotland and urged people to visit the town this holiday season.
The movie star’s mum Carol McGregor volunteers at the unique outlet which also helps raise money for Kinross-based children’s hospice charity CHAS.
Businesses in Crieff have said the seasonal Post Office has been “buoyed” by McGregor’s Facebook post.
In its first week more than 4,000 people visited the shop to send letters to Santa and talk with Mrs Claus and her elves.
The post office is organised by local businesses through Crieff Succeeds and runs until Christmas Eve and shop owners are expecting many more thousands to visit before Christmas Day.
Crieff Succeeds chairman, Graham Donaldson, said: “The Christmas lights switch on event, organised by the community group ‘Crieff at Christmas’, and attended by thousands of people, was a fantastic occasion and seeing the queues of excited children and parents waiting to get into Santa’s Post Office made the day all the more special.
“Crieff as a town is bucking the trend and is on the up, and events like these really highlight this.”
Local business owner Ailsa Campbell added: “What is even more astonishing is the distances people have travelled to visit. They came from Carlisle, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dingwall, Fife, and Edinburgh to name but a few.
“It has been wonderful for Crieff.”
McGregor posted his Facebook message to Crieff Succeeds in November saying: “I want to tell you that Santa Claus’ post office, a special post office just for children to write their letters to Santa Claus, is in Crieff in James Square.
“Take kids there to write their letters to Santa and they will be delivered.”
It will be totally free , with a donation box and all proceeds will go to CHAS, one of my favourite charities.
He added: “And there will be a special Santa’s helper there too – my mum.”
It is understood McGregor, who is to reprise his role as Ben Kenobi in the Star Wars universe, took a break from filming in Peru to shoot the short clip.
