Our daily walk – as dinosaurs

A family of tyrannosaurus rex have been roaming the streets of Callander amidst the coronavirus lockdown.

It’s not an April Fool. A family living in the Trossachs tourist town have been spreading some cheer during an uncertain time for residents by hitting the streets dressed as the once feared dinosaurs.

The Munro family combined their once-a-day walk for some exercise with the novel idea.

Wendy Munro, originally from Texas, brainstormed the idea and convinced her daughter Cassie and husband Ross to take part.

Ross grew up in Edinburgh. However, his mother lived in Stirling and her partner was a weaver from Killmahog. The family re-located to the town last October.

Wendy hit the streets as a purple dinosaur, Ross as a blue dinosaur and 17-year-old Cassie in brown.

Speaking to the Observer this week, Wendy said: “We tried to do it really quietly without anyone knowing it was us.

“We are the most unathletic family so I didn’t realise how hard going out a walk with the suit on would be.

“We started it all last week and we had been making sure to keep our distance.

“It was a joy to bring some smiles to our lovely village. We have seen and heard that others in Callander have started to dress up, including one in a similar dinosaur costume.

“Just to make sure everyone is following government instructions about social distancing, we’ve decided to pack up our costumes for another time.”

Following the sightings of the dinosaur family, there have been other dinosaurs and even a panda snapped in the town.

Trossachs and Teith SNP councillor Evelyn Tweed said: “This has certainly raised a chuckle with the locals.

“When I posted the pictures of the dinosaur on Facebook people immediately told me about the ‘shy’ panda who was also roaming about.

“The identity of those involved has not been revealed but assume they are carrying these activities out as part of their once a day exercise.”

In September last year, the Observer told how the Munro family had volunteered to take over the running of a soon-to-be-axed phone box in the town and return it back to community use.

The family faced an uncertain future as their big move was held up by a visa wrangle. The then Stirling MP, Stephen Kerr, was instrumental in sealing approval from the Home Office to obtain Cassie’s visa, completing the family’s move.