Enchanted Forest enters new spell as community group

The flagship event, a highlight of Scotland's autumn calendar, has been staged in the past by the Forestry Commission and the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust. But this year's event in Faskally Wood, due to be held from 22 October to 7 November, is to be staged by the Pitlochry Area Community Interest Company (CIC), a social enterprise company based in Pitlochry.

The Enchanted Forest has been staged at Faskally since 2006 as part of the Perthshire Big Tree Country initiative and attracts about 20,000 visitors annually to the Pitlochry area.

Announcing the handover at Faskally yesterday, environment minister Roseanna Cunningham said: "The Enchanted Forest draws thousands of visitors to Pitlochry every year and last year injected an estimated 1million into the local economy.

"Hugely enthusiastic support for the event from local businesses and the wider community has helped to make it the success that it is today."

She added: "It is great to see that level of commitment develop into a community interest company, one that will ensure the continued success of this amazing and remarkable fixture in Scotland's tourism calendar."

Graham Brown, the managing director of the Pitlochry CIC, welcomed the handover. He said: "

I am particularly honoured to be accepting Big Tree Country's generous gift on behalf of the many members of the community who have worked together to make this possible. We have a keen and experienced management team to continue the good work laid down over the last seven years, and to take the Enchanted Forest forward into the future."