Scotland’s premier sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, secured its place as one of the U.K.’s top tourism events after winning Best Cultural Event at the U.K. Event Awards.

The Pitlochry based show, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a record 70,000 visitors, beat off stiff competition at The Drum awards, including the Magical Lantern Festival London and Diwali Festival of Lights, at Thursday night’s ceremony in London.

The win, for The Enchanted Forest’s 2015 show FLUX, is the latest in a long line of awards for the Perthshire event, which recently swept the board at the Scottish Event Awards, picking up no less than three titles.

The Enchanted Forest has grown from a 3-night run and 1500 visitors when it launched to becoming an event that attracts visitors and media attention from across the globe. Each October the show turns Pitlochry’s Faskally Wood into an other-worldly experience, funds local community grants and boosts the local economy to the tune of more than £2 million. Last year’s FLUX show funded 27 community grants for local initiatives, as well as donating money to three chosen charities.

The Enchanted Forest has built up a strong, ever-growing audience by changing theme each year and bringing together the cream of the crop of the U.K. arts scene. FLUX combined the creative talents of producer and creative director Derek Allan, lighting designers Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes, and composers and sound designers RJ McConnell and Jon Beales

This year’s show, shimmer, sold out six days after opening and more than 90% of visitors recently cited The Enchanted Forest as their main reason for visiting the Pitlochry area.

Ian Sim, chairman of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust that runs The Enchanted Forest, commented:

“We’re absolutely thrilled by this accolade. Being named the U.K.’s Best Cultural Event underscores all the hard work that goes into not only putting on The Enchanted Forest, but keeping it fresh each year. People travel from all over the world for the show and it generates lots of positive press for Highland Perthshire. We’re proud to be driving tourists ‘into the woods’ of Pitlochry at what has always been a traditionally quiet time of year.

“A huge thanks must go to the hard-working and talented team behind the show, from technicians, stewards and volunteers to the producers and creatives, and also our marketing agency Volpa.”

The Enchanted Forest picked up three titles at the annual Scottish Event Awards ceremony in October: Best Large Event; the prestigious Chairman’s Award; and Best Marketing & PR Strategy for its marketing agency Volpa.

The Enchanted Forest, Perthshire’s multi-award winning sound and light show, has confirmed today that just over 70,000 visitors attended this year’s 15th anniversary show, which closed on Sunday night, a 13% increase on the previous record-breaking year.

The 2016 show, shimmer, marked The Enchanted Forest’s 15th year and has been widely hailed by visitors as the best event to date with many visitors taking to social media channels to express their delight at the spectacle.

This year’s event broke all previous box office records, not only in ticket sales volumes, but also in speed of sale, with tickets selling out for this year’s show on 5th October, leaving many customers who had hadn’t planned to purchase in advance desperate for tickets.

It is estimated that the event’s impact on the local tourism economy is expected to exceed £3 million per annum with around 50% of all visitors to the event choosing to stay overnight in the area on their visit and over 90% citing the event as their main reason for visiting the area this Autumn.

Ian Sim, acting chairman of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust that runs The Enchanted Forest, commented:

“Once again an event that is run by the community, for the community, has excelled in driving tourism in Highland Perthshire during a traditionally quiet time of year and in putting Pitlochry firmly on the map. People have travelled from all over the world to see this year’s show and it has generated media interest from journalists in the USA, Canada, India, Russia and Australia as well as mainland Europe.

“This is a tremendous success for Highland Perthshire tourism businesses and we are deeply encouraged by the continued support of our visitors, many of them who return to the Forest year after year. It is a testimony to the hard work put in by the community that our visitors number continue to grow year on year, and that our show continues to go from strength to strength.”

The Enchanted Forest was once more headed up by the multi-award-winning creative team of Derek Allan as producer and creative director, Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition. Additional creative expertise was provided by leading creative companies including NL Productions, Squid Soup, 59 Productions and Vision Mechanics.

The event has won a string of awards this year including Best Large Event and the Chairman’s Award at the Scottish Event Awards, as well as the Tourism & Hospitality Award at the Scottish Rural Awards. It is also shortlisted for Best Cultural Event at the UK Event Awards, a prestigious Scottish Thistle Award for Best Event and a Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Start Award for Tourism & Leisure, the results of which will all be revealed at events later this month.

To help meet the growing demand, the show organisers have now opened up a mailing list for customers who wish to be notified about tickets going on sale for the 2017 show.

Some lucky visitors to The Enchanted Forest this year, will be given regaled with tales from around the world with two internationally renowned storytellers set to join the event’s in house storytellers for a special guest appearance.

On Saturday 15th October, Finnish Storyteller Markus Luukkonen will join Highland Perthshire storyteller Claire Hewitt in her cosy storytelling yurt to share a tale with her. Markus is on a three-month storytelling residency in Scotland. He is a founder member of Finnish Storytelling Association called Samova Ry and also a founder member and storyteller of touring Storytelling Theatre called Erämaateatteri (Wilderness Theatre).

A second visit from Finland will take place on Saturday 29th October, this time from Finnish storyteller Anna-Maria Toivonen, who will join Claire for a special evening of stories and songs from the North of the world in the yurt.

This is not the first time Claire has been joined by storytelling colleagues from around the world, many of whom travel to Scotland for the annual Scottish International Storytelling Festival which this year runs from 21st – 31st October. This annual celebration of traditional and contemporary storytelling brings together artists and audiences from across the world to entertain and inspire with live storytelling performances and fun family activities.

Ian Sim, chairman of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust commented:

“The Enchanted Forest is a unique opportunity for visitors to really see the forest brought to life and the storytelling yurt is a very popular feature for our younger visitors. We are delighted that we are able to welcome such world renowned storytellers, Markus and Anna-Marie, to join with Claire in making these two very special evenings indeed.”

The 15th anniversary show, shimmer, is now sold out and will run throughout the month of October although tickets have now sold out.

Scotland’s premier sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has swept the board at this year’s Scottish Event Awards, picking up three titles at the annual awards ceremony this year held at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow including the prestigious Chairman’s Award.

A three times winner of Best Cultural Event at The Scottish Event Awards, the Pitlochry based sound and light show has now added Best Large Event to its accolades, fighting off stiff competition from fellow nominees Edinburgh’s Christmas, The Royal Highland Show, Spectra Aberdeen’s Festival of Light and Virgin Money Street of Light to take the title. It’s marketing agency, Volpa, scooped the title for Best Event Marketing & PR Strategy, the third time they’ve taken that title in the history of the awards. However the cherry on the top of the cake came at the end of the evening when the team were announced as winners of the prestigious Chairman’s Award, chosen from amongst the 29 category winners.

Derek Allan, producer of The Enchanted Forest commented:

“Last night was really an amazing evening. Not only did we find out just before the awards ceremony began that this year’s show, Shimmer, had sold out of all tickets making it the fastest selling show ever, to win three awards on the evening was unexpected and simply fabulous. It’s testimony to the hard work and input from the Pitlochry community that have made The Enchanted Forest such an amazing success and when you see it holding its own on a national platform alongside some of the nation’s biggest events, it’s a real moment of pride. Perthshire, as a region also did very well on the night with awards picked up by Blair Atholl Estates, Volpa and Horsecross Arts too. All in all, it was a very good evening for the region and its cultural event offering. Very fitting for the plans for Perth’s UK City of Culture Bid.”

Record breaking visitor numbers have continued to fuel the success of The Enchanted Forest which is now firmly recognised as a major driver of tourism for Scotland. The event’s international profile has catapulted the Victorian town of Pitlochry onto an international stage and press coverage around the globe attracts visitors from around the world to the sound and light spectacle which humbly has its roots firmly planted in the nearby forest of Faskally Wood.

The Enchanted Forest is once more headed up by the multi-award-winning creative team of Derek Allan as producer and creative director, Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition. Additional creative expertise was provided by leading creative companies including NL Productions, Squid Soup, 59 Productions and Vision Mechanics.

The 15th anniversary show, shimmer, is currently running throughout the month of October although tickets have now sold out.

Scotland’s premier sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has been shortlisted for Best Event or Festival for the third year running at the regional heats of the Scottish Thistle Awards, announced on Friday. A previous winner of the national title for Best Event or Festival, this is the third shortlisting in a row for this popular Autumn event.

The event, which launched its 15th show last week, called SHIMMER, features original music and a series of fantastic light displays devised by some of the country’s top creative talent. This year’s event runs until Friday 30th October but, with over 50,000 tickets sold already, organisers are urging people to book soon if they don’t want to miss out on the spectacle which has become a mainstay of Scotland’s Autumn calendar.

Run by a Pitlochry based charitable trust, The Enchanted Forest brings in an estimated £2 million to the local economy every year and donates its proceeds to other local groups and charities.
Ian Sim, acting chairman for The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said:

“The Enchanted Forest team are very excited to be shortlisted for a prestigious Thistle Award for the third running, a testimony to the event’s standing in the Scottish tourism calendar. Every year The Enchanted Forest continues to evolve and we are very proud of the success the event has had and that so many people travel up to Highland Perthshire as a result. As a previous winner of a Scottish Thistle Award, we can wholeheartedly say that the accolade is one which helps to increase the profile of the businesses who win, as much as reward the hard work and efforts of the teams involved.”

The Enchanted Forest is once more headed up by the multi-award-winning creative team of Derek Allan as producer and creative director, Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition. Additional creative expertise was provided by leading creative companies including NL Productions, Squid Soup, 59 Productions and Vision Mechanics.

The 15th annual Enchanted Forest launched tonight in a shimmer of light, original music and some of the country’s top creative talent.

A select audience of press and VIPs gathered in Faskally Wood, Pitlochry for the opening of what is now a must-see on the UK’s tourist calendar and a cultural and financial boost to the local Perthshire community.

Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, switched on the lights for this year’s show, called SHIMMER. For The Enchanted Forest’s most ambitious display to date, organisers have not only lit up Faskally Wood but raised the creative bar with a show that provides fantastic light displays, original music and extra surround sound. Making a shimmering entrance this year will be a giant interactive puppet, a walk-through ‘wall’ of light and a stunning light show on the loch.

This year’s event, which runs from 29th September to Friday 30th October, is once more headed up by the multi-award-winning creative team of Derek Allan as producer and creative director, Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition.

More than 65,000 tickets went on sale this year and organisers The Enchanted Forest Community Trust are reporting sold-out shows already, with an additional 3000 tickets going on sale to the public earlier this week to meet demand. Extended to a month-long run last year due to its popularity, The Enchanted Forest brings in an estimated £2 million to the local economy every year. A special charity night takes place on Thursday 29th September, with a percentage of proceeds going to Kidney Kids Scotland, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance and British Heart Foundation Scotland.

Ian Sim, acting chairman for The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said:

“We’re thrilled to be celebrating the fifteenth anniversary show of The Enchanted Forest and we’re particularly proud of all the work that’s gone into the SHIMMER show. The Enchanted Forest not only illuminates our Perthshire countryside every Autumn, it also lights up the local community. Monies raised by the show help a host of community projects and a dedicated charity evening raising money directly for well-deserved causes. And of course it’s a celebration of some of the cream of the crop in the U.K. arts world.”

Opening the show, Cabinet Secretary Angela Constance said:

“I’m delighted to be opening The Enchanted Forest in its 15th year and to see this award-winning show go from strength to strength. This is an event that is a great equaliser, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds from across Scotland and beyond, into the forests of Highland Perthshire.

“It’s incredible to think that it started as a three-night event with 1500 people and now attracts more than 60,000 visitors. In that time The Enchanted Forest has, remarkably, reinvented itself each year with a new theme. Yet it remains true to its original aims: of bringing people outside; celebrating the outdoors and the arts; and giving back to the community through the funding of valuable local projects.”

The Enchanted Forest, a brilliant sound and light show that transforms a Perthshire wood each October, is 15 years old this year.

To celebrate, here are 15 facts about the show, now a multi-award-winning event that sells tens of thousands of tickets. This year’s Enchanted Forest, called Shimmer, starts on September 28th and runs every night in October at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

1. The Enchanted Forest had humble, and small, beginnings with just 1500 people coming to the first show over 3 nights. Last year, a record 62,000 tickets were sold. Sales this year are already set to surpass this.

2. It takes around 100 people every year, from designers to stewards and from ground staff to technicians, to put on this stunning event.

3. The Enchanted Forest is a huge boost to the economy of Perthshire and to tourism in Scotland. It brings in an estimated £2m to the local economy every year. That’s a great thing for the community.

4. It’s an event that gives something back. Each year The Enchanted Forest has a dedicated charity evening. This year’s charity night is September 29th with proceeds going to: Scottish Charity Air Ambulance; Kidney Kids Scotland; and British Heart Foundation Scotland.

5. The Enchanted Forest is run as a charity, The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, operated by a board of trustees drawn from the local community. The money raised each year goes to fund a range of community projects, from pipe band uniforms to yoga classes for the elderly.

6. The Enchanted Forest made its way into a novel! The magical setting was featured in Chained to Mineola by A. Louise Robertson after the author visited the show. The book is about two people’s love for nature. One of the book’s protagonists is a technician at the event.

7. Last year the show lured the crew of BBC’s Countryfile “into the woods”. Together with presenter Ellie Harrison, the Countryfile crew put together a piece about the transformation of Faskally Wood into The Enchanted Forest, and the changing of the forest as Autumn descended.

8. There have been some famous visitors to Enchanted Forest. Last year they included Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank, who tweeted about his attendance to his 81,000 followers. Another was Tomas Jansen, head of sales for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. “Well done and well executed,” said Tomas afterwards. Nice praise indeed from a Disney exec!

9. The Enchanted Forest’s awards are so many you’d think they grew on trees. Except they don’t – they’re the result of very hard work! This year’s accolades include the coveted Scottish Rural Award for Tourism & Hospitality 2016; Best event 2015 at the Scottish Thistle Awards; and three shortlistings, two for the Scottish Event Awards and one for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations awards for best marketing strategy.

10. There’s a larger-than-life character coming to visit this year, courtesy of Vision Mechanics. At their workshop in Leith, the puppet company has been constructing something extra special, extra huge – and interactive. All will be revealed when the show opens.

11. Digital animators 59 Productions, another contributor to the show, did their first ever event in Pitlochry as part of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. They’ve since worked on everything from the Sydney Opera House to the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.

12. Digital artists Squidsoup have an interactive treat in store: a walk-through light installation that has been exhibited all over the world, from Australia to Mexico City. Other work by Squidsoup has included ‘animated’ Shakespeare quotes and digital moving insects. Fascinated? You should be.

13. The Enchanted Forest reinvents itself every year. And that’s what makes it a magical experience. The creative brains come together and produce a unique experience every time. So there’s no “I’ve seen it before” – you haven’t!

14. There will be drone footage this year for the first time, so expect some amazing, shimmering, visuals.

15. The show has its very own set of music composers and lighting designers . Sound design and composition is done by the hugely talented RJ McConnell and Jon Beales. And there’s a dedicated sound engineer who’ll be mixing the music in 7.1 surround sound. The fantastic lighting design is done by Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes who have worked to create new and exciting effects each year.

The Enchanted Forest, Scotland’s multi-award-winning sound and light show, will mark VisitScotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design with the development of a unique piece of street art in Glasgow this Saturday afternoon by internationally renowned graffiti artist, Conzo Throb.

The state-of-the-art sound and light show, which this year is entitled shimmer, will be interpreted and depicted on a large scale mural which will be painted in front of a live audience on Glasgow’s Argyle Street between 1pm and 4pm on Saturday afternoon.

Derek Allan, Producer of The Enchanted Forest commented on the importance of creativity in events:

“The Enchanted Forest has always pushed the creative boundaries and, in celebration of our 15th show this year, we wanted to do something a little bit different. The idea came about from talking to my daughter who suggested working with a street artist as a way to bring some of that Enchanted Forest magic onto the street. As it was the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, we agreed it was an exciting way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the show and mark the importance of design and innovation in events. The development of the artwork on Saturday is as much about creating a live performance as it is about creating something that will endure and be seen by thousands. We hope that the people of Glasgow will stop by and have a chat with us about the project and the event on Saturday as well as watch Conzo at work.”

Conzo Throb commented on his plans for Saturday:

“I’ve never been to The Enchanted Forest before but I’ve been studying pictures of the show and it looks amazing. I’ll be interpreting The Enchanted Forest is a street art style that will be applied to a large scale mural, as well as a depiction of this year’s show title, shimmer, to create a finished piece of artwork which will then go on show to the 60,000 visitors to attend the event every year. It will be fun and I hope my fellow Glaswegians will pop along and say hello while I’m working.”

Conzo grew up in Lanarkhall, just outside Glasgow, and studied graphic design at Glasgow Metropolitan College before focussing on his street art career full time. His art now takes him across the globe, working with some of the world’s biggest brand names including Reebok, Major League Baseball and Umbro. His most recent work took place in Los Angeles and, after this weekend, he’s moving on to a two-month project which will see him develop a series of wall art and characters for Sauchiehall Street restaurant Tuk Tuk, set to open later this year. The event on Saturday has been co-ordinated by LA Creative, run by Lauren Allan, and is their debut production.

The Enchanted Forest runs from Thursday 29th September to Friday 30th October at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry. This year’s event will also see the return of the multi-award-winning creative team of Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition and show producer, Derek Allan.

Proceeds from a dedicated charity night on Thursday September 29th will also benefit three charities: Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance; Kidney Kids Scotland; and British Heart Foundation Scotland.

If you caught this year’s Edinburgh Festival opening ceremony, you’ll have got a taster of another of Scotland’s favourite annual spectacles: The Enchanted Forest.
Perthshire’s multi-award-winning sound and light show in the woods is set to shimmer this October with its most ambitious display to date. Among the creative talent is 59 Productions, the team behind the Standard Life Opening Event: Deep Time, which launched this year’s Edinburgh International Festival. The spectacular public artwork saw Edinburgh Castle and Castle Rock transformed into a vast canvas for digitally animated projections inspired by the city’s past and set to a specially compiled soundtrack by rock band Mogwai.
Now in its 15th year, The Enchanted Forest sound and light show at Faskally Wood, Pitlochry prides itself on raising the creative bar with a changing theme each year. While the details of this year’s show, SHIMMER, are still under wraps, visitors can expect a host of new creative talent and shimmering displays including a larger-than-life character and a walk-through ‘wall’ of light.
59 Productions, one of the UK’s leading digital animation companies, has opened the last two Edinburgh Festivals. Other credits include the War Horse musical and the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. 59 Productions is working on a projection which, promises creative director Leo Warner, will stay close to the theme of an enchanted wood. For Leo it’s a welcome return to the Pitlochry area. 59 Productions’ very first video installation featured at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2003.
Vision Mechanics, a Leith-based design agency with clients that include National Museum of Scotland and Scottish Opera, is behind one of the larger-than-life characters that will appear at this year’s show, designed by creative director Kim Bergsagel. “We build big stuff and we try and make interactivity an element so people can get involved,” said Symon Macintyre of Vision Mechanics. One of Vision Mechanics’ most recent art projects, Drift, was installed on beaches in Norway and recreated the feelings of being adrift and alone at sea, inspired by the true story of Betty Mouat, a Shetland crofter who was cast adrift in the North Sea for eight days.
Also involved in this year’s Enchanted Forest are digital artists Squidsoup, who are building an immersive, walk-through light installation that builds on previous works they have exhibited around the world. “My background is in digital media but I’ve always been frustrated by the screen and the fact that you can’t go in there and touch anything,” explained Anthony Rowe, founder and creative director of Squidsoup.
This year’s Enchanted Forest event, which runs from Thursday 29th September to Friday 30th October, is led by the multi-award-winning creative team of Derek Allan as producer and creative director, Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition. Last year the show attracted a record 62,000 visitors and smashed box office records. This year, more than 65,000 tickets went on sale. Organisers The Enchanted Forest Community Trust are advising customers to book early to avoid disappointment.
The event, which extended its season due to popular demand, brings in an estimated £2 million to the local economy. It was recently shortlisted in two categories of the Scottish Event Awards, and beat off stiff competition from Scotland’s top tourism businesses to win the coveted Scottish Rural Award for Tourism & Hospitality 2016.
Ian Sim, acting chairman of The Enchanted Forest, said:
“The exciting, and challenging, thing about The Enchanted Forest is that it changes theme each year. We’re particularly proud of the creativity that is going into the SHIMMER show. We think this will definitely light up the woods and we encourage both locals and tourists to make the trip to The Enchanted Forest to witness the magic for themselves.”

The Enchanted Forest, Scotland’s premier sound and light show, has been shortlisted for three prestigious awards.
The show, which takes place every October at Faskally Wood, Pitlochry, has been shortlisted in the Large Event of the Year and People’s Choice Award categories of The Drum Scottish Event Awards. The People’s Choice Award is a new category added this year in which judges choose the shortlist and the public votes for the winner.
The show’s marketing and communications agency, Volpa, was also shortlisted for Marketing Strategy of the Year for last year’s show, FLUX.
FLUX attracted record visitor numbers, with 62,000 people attending an event that, once more, pushed creative boundaries. The 65,000 tickets on sale for this October’s show are already breaking sales records.
The Enchanted Forest, now in its 15th year, extended its season last year due to popular demand. Run by Enchanted Forest Community Trust, it brings in an estimated £2 million to the local economy and was recently awarded the coveted Scottish Rural Award for Tourism & Hospitality 2016, beating off stiff competition from more than 50 of Scotland’s top tourism businesses.
Ian Sim, acting chairman of The Enchanted Forest, said:
“It’s heartwarming to think that this event, which began with just 1500 people over a few nights, has not only grown so much but continues to be innovative and inspiring. We’re delighted to be recognised by the Scottish Event Awards. This is testimony to the amount of work and talent that’s behind The Enchanted Forest. It’s a massive and committed group effort, from designers and engineers to stewards and box office staff and, of course, our marketing agency, Volpa, who have also been recognised with their own shortlisting.”
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 5th in Glasgow.

The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, organisers of the award-winning sound and light show in the woods, have awarded £10,000 to a range of local projects in Highland Perthshire, from pipe band uniforms to the upgrade of a bookshop, to yoga classes for the elderly.

This is the third year that such a fund has been available and the highest number of projects that have been helped.

This year’s Enchanted Forest, now in its 15th year, is set amidst the stunning Autumn woodland of Faskally Wood in Perthshire. The 2016 show is set to be the biggest yet, with 65,000 tickets now on sale. The spectacular sound and light show runs from Thursday 29th September to Friday 30th October at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

Scotland’s premier sound and light show is a three-time winner of Best Cultural Event at the Scottish Event Awards and was recently crowned winner of the Rural Tourism & Hospitality Award at the 2016 Scottish Rural Awards. This year’s show, SHIMMER, will use dazzling visuals and an original music score.
Ian Sim, acting chairman of The Enchanted Forest, said:

“Last year more people visited The Enchanted Forest than ever before. That means we were able to fund a host of exciting local community projects. We’re delighted that our show helps make all of these projects possible, and visitors should feel proud that, just by visiting the show, they have done their bit to give back to the community and benefit the local area.”

This year’s Enchanted Forest will again run for an extended season, due to popular demand. Organisers are encouraging the public to book early to avoid disappointment.

For further information and to book tickets for The Enchanted Forest visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk

The Enchanted Forest, Perthshire’s multi-award-winning sound and light show, will today – Friday 17th June – release 65,000 tickets for what will mark its 15th anniversary show.

The state-of-the-art show, entitled shimmer, will run throughout October and this year more than 65,000 tickets are going on sale with organisers are urging customers to book early to avoid disappointment. Last year’s award winning show attracted a record 62,000 visitors smashing all previous box office records and selling out quickly.

The 2016 show runs from Thursday 29th September to Friday 30th October at Faskally Wood near Pitlochry. This year’s event will also see the return of the multi-award-winning creative team of Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes as lighting designers, and RJ McConnell and Jon Beales providing sound design and composition and show producer, Derek Allan.

Ian Sim, acting chairman of The Enchanted Forest, said:

“Every year The Enchanted Forest lights up the countryside of Perthshire and boosts the Autumnal tourist season. The show we have planned for this year is remarkable and will prove to be a must-see. The team have some very exciting developments in planning and we’re certain it will create that wow factor for visitors.”

In 2015 The Enchanted Forest extended its season due to popular demand and the event now brings in an estimated £2 million to the local economy. In March it was awarded the coveted Scottish Rural Award for Tourism & Hospitality 2016, beating off stiff competition from more than 50 of Scotland’s top tourism businesses.

Proceeds from a dedicated charity night on Thursday September 29th will also benefit three charities: Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance; Kidney Kids Scotland; and British Heart Foundation Scotland.