The Enchanted Forest, one of Scotland’s biggest and most popular outdoor events, returns this autumn with a jaw-dropping aquatic theme, ‘From the Deep’.

This year’s show, which takes place in Faskally Wood near Pitlochry in Perthshire, will run from 5 October until 5 November, and has been designed to create a bigger splash than ever before! The event will showcase Scotland’s natural landscape as its autumnal best. Using captivating visuals and an original music score, the show will see visitors transported into the depths of an underwater world. 

Blending light, video and sound to create a truly unique visitor experience, Faskally Wood will transform into an underwater forest with a deep watery glow of aqua blue and green. As with previous years, this year’s show will include several impressive installations, including a spectacular light show over Loch Dunmore which will use music, animation, projection, beams, lights, and lasers to tell the story of bioluminescent creatures that are found throughout marine habitats, from the ocean surface to the deep seabed. 

Nela Popovic, executive director of The Enchanted Forest Community Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to be announcing our new show theme ‘From the Deep’. Our aim is to raise the creative bar year on year by introducing new themes and this year we promise our visitors will be captivated. Our team have been working extremely hard behind the scenes to create an event which will be a big splash, encouraging our visitors to soak up the incredible atmosphere. We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to the beautiful Faskally Wood in October for an extraordinary aquatic themed show.” 

Faskally Wood was created in the 19th century by Archibald Butter. The vegetation in the early part of the 20th century consisted of European beech, Douglas fir, European larch, Norway spruce, and Scots pine. The entire estate was acquired by the then Forestry Commission, now Forestry and Land Scotland, and Faskally House was used as a forestry training centre until the late 1960s. Young foresters were trained to repair woodlands ravaged by felling for the war effort, and Faskally Wood was perfect for testing new ideas, including mixtures of different types of trees and creation of diverse woodland structures. 

The Enchanted Forest was set up by Forestry and Land Scotland in 2002 as part of a push to encourage more people to use woodlands as a place for recreation and to raise the profile of Perthshire. In 2010, the management of the event was passed to a community led organisation which now operates as The Enchanted Forest Community Trust. 

The Enchanted Forest is one of Scotland’s most popular autumn events. Faskally Wood used to welcome around 80,000 visitors annually. Thanks to the event’s popularity and success, over 160,000 people now visit every year, encouraging more and more people to embrace Scotland’s magnificent woodlands. 

As the show goes from strength to strength, supporting the ecology in Faskally Wood is vitally important to the continued success of  The Enchanted Forest. The organisers are keen to ensure that the event has minimal impact on the beautiful environment in which they operate and on the wildlife that calls Faskally Wood its home. 

Faskally Wood is part of the Tay Forest Park, and currently has 23 species of trees such as Douglas fir, silver firs, wild cherry, and oak. Some trees are more than 200 years old. Within Faskally Wood lies the wonderfully tranquil Loch Dunmore, with its boat house and picturesque timber footbridge.

Janet Redler, Manging Director of Janet Redler Travel, said: “It sounds like this year’s Enchanted Forest will be bigger and better than ever! Combining state-of-the-art audio and visual technology with the desire to develop an appreciation of our woodlands, ‘From the Deep’ and the incredible surroundings of Faskally Wood are sure to impress all those who visit.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a visit to the Enchanted Forest this autumn, on a tailor-made tour of Scotland, please do contact our friendly team today. We organise multi-generation tours in the UK and Ireland for families and friends from all over the world.

All photos courtesy of Enchanted Forest.