Enjoy the magic of the forest and let your imagination run wild in a night-time spectacular like no other in Scotland.
Taking place every autumn at ancient Faskally Wood near Pitlochry, the multi-award-winning Enchanted Forest celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
More than 62,000 people enjoyed the choreographed sound and light show last year and organisers are setting the stage for the most ambitious display yet.
The event will see the return of creative team Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition, plus creative producer Derek Allan.
Full details of this year’s show, titled Shimmer, are being kept under wraps but Derek said it is going to be a “big, big show”.
“There’s hardly a corner of the woods that there’s not something going on,” he said. “I don’t want to give away too much but there’s going to be something very big and shiny in the forest.
“There’ll be projections on to the loch and we’ve built a pontoon so people can step down on to the water.
“There’s a massive structure with lights dangling down, a sculpture on a bridge, a storytelling yurt and some other very special installations.
“We’ve added in some new paths so visitors will have an expanded experience and because we’ve restricted numbers this year, there won’t be any crowding, so it’ll feel more relaxed.”
While Leith-based agency Vision Mechanics has created a “larger-than-life” shiny character as part of the programme, digital artists Squidsoup have come up with an immersive, walk-through light installation that builds on previous works they have exhibited around the world.
Digital animators 59 Productions, the team being the Deep Time event which opened the Edinburgh International Festival, are also contributing.
There will be two places on site to toast marshmallows and buy hot food and drinks (think mulled wine and hot chocolate).
Most visitors spend between 60 and 90 minutes walking through the forest, with most doing more than one lap, appreciating the changes in light as darkness falls.
More than half of the tickets have already sold for the shows and there’s a limit – Derek says he expects to sell between 65,000 and 70,000 tickets.
“There’ll be 2,000 people on site every night,” he said.
“We’ve come a long way since the first show.
“We started with 1,500 visitors and now we’re looking at 65,000.”
The Enchanted Forest takes place at Faskally Wood, Pitlochry, from September 29 to October 30.
