As night falls on Friday evening, one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions will begin what is set to be its biggest year.
Newly-crowned as the nation’s best event following success at the Scottish Event Awards, the Enchanted Forest is expected to attract almost 25,000 people to Perthshire.
The annual light and sound extravaganza has moved for the first time to Pitlochry Festival Theatre under the management of the Highland Perthshire Community Interest Group and the organisers are hopeful the transition will prove a huge success.
The new location, at the theatre’s Explorers Garden, has enabled the event’s run to be extended from 17 to 23 nights and ticket sales to be increased as a result, while it also means visitors no longer need to be bussed to the venue.
This year’s show is entitled Transitions and has once again been created by Scottish designers Simon Wilkinson and RJ McConnell, who were behind last year’s final Faskally Woods event.
The Enchanted Forest was founded in 2002 by the Forestry Commission, who hoped to bring new visitors to the stunning Hermitage Woodlands and boost out-of-season tourism in the area.
Some 3,000 visitors attended the first event, which lit up the woodlands to stunning effect, while the following year a company of actors were added to the mix, performing scenes from Celtic mythology.
A move to Faskally, near Pitlochry, boosted visitor numbers and the 2010 event marked the first time the Enchanted Forest had been run by the local community. Despite the recession, it attracted a record 20,000 people to the area.
The Enchanted Forest runs from Friday until October 29.For more information, visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk