Day in the sun wrecks castle movie singalong

A castle’s outdoor event was scuppered by too much sun, reports Sarah Hilley. Culzean Castle’s movie on the lawn became a bit of a flop when glare from the sun meant the screen was a blur. More than 400 eager visitors to the ‘ Beauty and the Beast’ singalong were left baffled when they could not see any on- screen action. There was a major delay in the film show time as organisers waited for the sun to set behind Arran. Some moviegoers left but received a refund for the event on Friday, April 27. A source said: “The last thing you would expect is sunlight to ruin an event in Scotland as we rarely get any. Normally the main worry is a downpour.” A spokesman for the National Trust for Scotland said they will change the location of the screen to avoid the problem in future. He said: “All in all it was a fabulously enjoyable time in what turned out to be unexpectedly fabulous weather. “Over 400 people came along to the screening and, despite some issues caused by the glare of the setting sun, we have had very few complaints. “We had been advised by a very experienced external production company about the location of the screen within our grounds and I think we have both learned what we need to do to avoid this in future. “The outdoor showing of ‘ Beauty and the Beast’ was only the first in a series of new events and attractions we are planning at Culzean and we will certainly make improvements as a result of this learning.” The setting for the show was the idyllic Fountain Court with the castle as a backdrop. It is understood the showing of ‘ Brave’ the next day went ahead without a hitch. The screenings are part of a new set of events since repair work has been completed on Fountain Court, giving the castle a stage for public events.