ENCHANTED FOREST ACCESSIBILITY ENHANCED BY BLAIR ATHOL DISTILLERY PARTNERSHIP
Scotland’s favourite sound and light show, The Enchanted Forest, has partnered with Blair Athol Distillery to make the award-winning event as accessible as possible for visitors.
An accessibility bus service will be available for this year’s 20th anniversary show, Together, which marks the event’s return to Faskally Woods after a two-year hiatus, caused by the global pandemic.
Accessibility bus customers will be able to park at Blair Athol Distillery on the outskirts of Pitlochry where the transfer service will run regularly into the Forest throughout the event’s five week-run. This service caters for customers who have specific access needs, but do not require disabled parking on site which is limited.
The bus will not require people to climb stairs to board the coach and can accommodate a small number of wheelchair and specialist buggy users, subject to availability. Older patrons and families traveling with autistic children who find large crowds difficult will also find the new service a welcomed addition.
This year’s Enchanted Forest will run from 29 September – 30 October 2022 at Faskally Woods near Pitlochry. With 80,000 visitors expected to attend this year’s event, organisers are keen to make the event as accessible as possible.
Monique McArdle, event producer of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said: “We’re really pleased to be working in partnership with local business, Blair Athol Distillery, to provide an Accessibility Bus service for visitors. Our desire is that as many people as possible are able to access our award-winning sound and light show up close. This new service allows that to happen for customers who may have thought an adventure into Faskally Woods was too much of a challenge, and otherwise would have given it a miss.
“We have launched autism friendly performances for the first time this year, which will take place at the start of designated show nights. Anyone attending these sessions will also be able to book spaces on the accessibility bus, as these hold less people than the large coaches leaving from Fisher’s Hotel.”
Laura Murray, Brand Home Manager at Blair Athol Distillery, said: “We’re delighted to be in a position to support this year’s Enchanted Forest event, by providing a place where those with accessibility issues can park and catch the accessibility bus, enabling them to enjoy the magic of the show. The Enchanted Forest is a major draw for tourists in the autumn and a supporter of local initiatives, and we are proud to be lending our support.”
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased via the website. For more information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk
