HERE are many, many ways you can fail as a parent, as your adult children will inevitably tell you, and failing to take them to the Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry is one of the more minor.
But hey, my two, you really missed out!
Despite going on holiday to Aberfeldy in October for years, we never managed to make the short trip to Pitlochry to see the spectacle.
Big mistake. We finally found our way there – ironically sans enfants – and yes, it is totally worth the effort. The event is well planned, well run and really is a magical combination of light and sound designed to appeal to everyone from the very young to the very old.
Proceeds from the annual event are redistributed to community groups, and an independent economic assessment cites an impressive £10.38 million boost to the Highland Perthshire economy, so what’s not to like?
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Established in 2002, it has also won numerous awards over its 23-year history including Celebrating Thriving Communities Award at the VisitScotland Regional Thistle Awards this year.
This year’s show runs until November 3 in the atmospheric Faskally Wood and includes several impressive installations which push the technical boundaries of outdoor displays, including a breathtaking light show over Loch Dunmore using music, animation, projection, beams, lights, and lasers.
Our base for the event was the Moness Resort in Aberfeldy – just a 25-minute car ride away from Pitlochry – and a lovely location for a short break in Perthshire, with a range of accommodations within walking distance of the town.
The facilities include a pool and spa to relax after the thrills of the Enchanted Forest, a play area, the modern and informal family-friendly Uisge Bar and Restaurant with an outdoor terrace, and the Flemmyng Restaurant where we tucked into a hearty meal before heading to Pitlochry and refuelled the next day with the excellent breakfast buffet.
Moness now partners with PURE Spa & Beauty and for an extra treat, I had a massage and facial from the very skilled therapist, Margaret, who used juniper and orange oils to revive me after a hike up the mighty Schiehallion the previous day.
The plan afterwards was to bike over to nearby Loch Rannoch, but I was so relaxed we decided on a walk at The Hermitage on the way home instead.
There’s a reason Perthshire is dubbed Big Tree Country and at this time of year, the whole county is enchanting with glorious autumn colours framing the lochs and mountains.
One of the places the trees are particularly impressive is The Hermitage outside picturesque Dunkeld.
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This stretch of magical Perthshire forest was an 18th-century pleasure ground for the Dukes of Atholl. Giant Douglas firs tower over the path to the roaring Black Linn Waterfall, where the River Braan crashes into the deep, foaming pools below.
Past notable visitors included the composer Mendelssohn and William Wordsworth who also sang the praises of Glen Lyon which was described by Walter Scott as the “longest, loneliest and loveliest glen in Scotland”.
It is certainly one of the loveliest but no longer feels lonely as the Glenlyon Tea Room is always buzzing with visitors and locals enjoying the homemade soups, sandwiches and delicious cakes.
Rabbie Burns was another poet enamoured by Perthshire, particularly the Birks o’ Aberfeldy, where he was so overcome by the beauty around him that he sat down and wrote an ode to the place. It is still a stunning walk through mature oaks, birches (birks), ash and elms to the impressive Falls of Moness.
As parents, we may have failed to take our offspring to the Enchanted Forest but fortunately, we did win bonus points for opening their eyes to the glories of Perthshire in the autumn.
For more information, go to www.enchantedforest.org.uk/
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