Perthshire village lit from end to end at Christmas for first time

A little Perthshire village will be lit from end to end this Christmas for the first time ever.

The display in Muthill caps a two-year show of community spirit.

Residents decided it was time to come out of the darkness last year, and raised enough money to string Christmas lights from 15 of the street lamps.

This year another 12 sponsors have come forward.

And that means all 27 lamp posts along the length of the main road will now be decorated.

The Muthill lights are old ones, which were going spare after nearby Auchterarder upgraded its Christmas display.

Organiser Corrina Robertson of Muthill Community Events says the team are grateful to all the sponsors.

And she says it’s a symbol of what places can achieve when people put their minds to it.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, considering this is only our second year,” she said.

Christmas lights part of a big weekend for Muthill

The Muthill display will be switched on this Saturday afternoon.

It’s part of a weekend of festive activities.

The village hall will be hosting a Christmas fair and Santa’s post office on Saturday and Sunday.

Families will gather at the Highlandman Park around 3.30pm. The Coorie Inn and The Commercial will be providing refreshments and the choir will be singing in the lead-up to the Christmas tree switch-on at 5.30pm.

And Muthill’s event is one of number of ceremonies happening across Perth and Kinross on Saturday.

Switch-ons happening elsewhere

They include Blackford’s annual light switch-on festivities, which will kick off around 3.30pm at McNaughtons Garage on Moray Street.

Organisers, Blackford Festive Lights, are promising good cheer, drinks and snacks and say there might even be a visit from the big man himself.

Crieff’s switch-on will be in The Square, with the fun starting at noon.

Visitors can also enjoy a festive market, brass and pipe bands and other street entertainment, as well as Santa’s Grotto.

And Kinross Christmas lights switch is happening in Greens car park at 6pm.

It will be preceded by Santa’s parade up the High Street, led by Kinross and District Pipe Band.

There will be a collection on the night to support Light up Kinross, who organise and finance the display ever year.