News Release

29^thSeptember 2016

VIDEO FOOTAGE AND IMAGES FREE TO USE. PLEASE CREDIT AIRBORNE LENS

Drone footage reveals The Enchanted Forest in all its shimmering glory

Exclusive drone video footage shot to celebrate the 15^thanniversary of The Enchanted Forest has revealed one of the country's favourite sound and light shows in all its shimmering glory.

For the first time, the organisers of the award-winning event commissioned drone company Airborne Lens to capture never-before-seen angles of Faskally Wood, Pitlochry which each year is transformed into The Enchanted Forest.

The state-of-the-art DJI drone, operated by Liam Anderstrem, filmed this year's show 250 ft above Loch Dunmore, right in the middle of the lit-up wood. The high resolution footage shows the Highland Perthshire woodland in all its Autumn glory highlights The Enchanted Forest's most ambitious show yet.

Named SHIMMER, it features original music, a fantastic light display and some of the country's top creative talent. This year's event, launched last night to a select audience of press and VIPs, runs from Thursday 29^thSeptember to Friday 30^thOctober. 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.

SHIMMER raises the creative bar with a show that features fantastic light displays, original music and extra surround sound. Making a shimmering entrance this year are a giant interactive puppet, a walk-through ‘wall' of light and a stunning light show on the loch.

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 tonight, Thursday 29^thSeptember, with 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:

"The exclusive drone footage shot for this year's show is a perfect celebration of The Enchanted Forest's 15^thbirthday. This year our creative teams took the show to a whole new level of performance, so it seemed appropriate that we also captured Faskally Wood from a whole new angle."

Liam Anderstrem, owner of The Airborne Lens Company based in central Scotland, said:

"It was a dream to be able to shoot the first drone footage of The Enchanted Forest, an event that's become an important date on the country's tourism calendar. Using a drone meant we could fly high above the forest and also zoom in for close-to-the-action shots. It's the perfect birthday present for an event I've long admired."

For more information and to book tickets visitwww.enchantedforest.org.uk.

For more information on The Airborne Lens Company visitwww.airbornelens.com

-- ENDS --

For further information contact Gillian Drummond on 01738 700138 or mobile 07490 259009

NOTES TO EDITORS

DRONE FOOTAGE:https://www.dropbox.com/s/fnhd6vx768fjhtx/Enchanted%20Forest%20Drone%20Footage%20%28Unedited%29.mov?dl=0

IMAGES FREE TO USE:https://www.dropbox.com/s/3mj0hmt8y1kklxh/2016%20Show%20Images.zip?dl=0For more free to use imagery of this year's show call 01738 658187 or emailg.drummond@volpa.co.uk

VIDEO:Free to use video of this year's show will be available on Friday 3oth September. To request video content call 01738 658187 or emailg.drummond@volpa.co.uk

The Enchanted Forest

Founded:2002

Location:Forestry Commission Scotland's Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

Ownership & Management:Enchanted Forest Community Trust- a Registered Scottish Charity

Visitors:Over 62,500 visitors attend annually - up to 65,000 can attend in 2016

Producer and Creative Director:Derek Allan, Director of Allan Associates

Lighting Designers:Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes

Sound Design & Composition: RJ McConnell and Jon Beales

Event Awards & Nominations:

2016:

• WINNER,Scottish Rural Award for Tourism & Hospitality.

• FINALIST, Best Large Event, Scottish Event Awards

• FINALIST, Event of the Year, Scottish Event Awards

• FINALIST, Best Marketing Campaign, Scottish Event Awards

• FINALIST, Best Integrated Campaign, CIPR Scotland Pride Awards

2015:

• WINNER, Best Event, 2015 Scottish Thistle Awards

2014:

• WINNER, Best Cultural Event, 2014 Scottish Event Awards

• WINNER, Best Marketing Campaign, 2014 Scottish Event Awards

2013:

• WINNER, Best Cultural Event, 2013 Scottish Event Awards

• WINNER, Cultural Event of the Year Award (Regional), Scottish Thistle Awards

2012:

• WINNER, VisitBritain Marketing Campaign of the Year Award (Regional), Scottish Thistle Awards

• FINALIST, VisitBritain Marketing Campaign of the Year Award (Regional), Scottish Thistle Awards

• Commendation, Best Marketing Campaign, 2012 Scottish Event Awards

Older:

• WINNER, Event Management Grand Prix, 2011 Scottish Event Awards

• WINNER, Best Cultural Event, 2011 Scottish Event Awards

• Commendation, Best Large Event, 2011 Scottish Event Awards

• WINNER, Event of the Year, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards

• WINNER, Community Award, Perthshire Big Tree Country Awards

• Commendation, Best Marketing Strategy, 2010 Scottish Event Awards

• Finalist, Best Marketing Strategy, 2010 UK Event Awards

• WINNER, Best Marketing Strategy, 2009 Scottish Event Awards

• Commendation, Best Large Event, 2009 Scottish Event Awards

• Commendation, Best Cultural Event, 2009 Scottish Event Awards

• Finalist, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Tourism & Hospitality Star Award 2009

• Finalist, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Marketing Star Award 2009

Key Facts about Faskally Wood

• Faskally was purchased by the Forestry Commission in 1953. It covers 365 hectares and is divided in two by the old and new A9. The area where the Enchanted Forest takes place is approximately 66 hectares in size.

• The forest contains 25 recorded species of tree, of which only a handful are native: Scots Pine, Silver and Downy Birch, Ash, Oak, Rowan, Common Alder, Hazel, and Bird Cherry. The oldest known tree is approximately 200-225 years old.  

• Faskally is derived from the Gaelic for "stance by the ferry" which probably relates to an old ferry crossing on the river Tummel.

• The forest attracts approximately 60,000 visitors a year, excluding those to the Enchanted Forest.