New Highland festival has hidden delights

GP Saided hunt part of event to show off stunning scenery

A new festival will use early bird nature walks and hidden treasures to attract visitors to Highland Perthshire.

The Dawn to Dusk event on Sunday May 7 will be based in and around the Carie Woods at Rannoch.

It has been organised by Rannoch Community Trust to celebrate the area’s stunning setting.

The festival begins early, at 6.30am, to enable participants to enjoy a dawn chorus walk in the first of a series of outings through the woods.

Many will be led by knowledgeable local guides who know the best places to enjoy the area and its wildlife, from birds to red squirrels.

If walking does not appeal, the festival will also have activities at its base camp – the local picnic site.

Experts will give talks on topics from wild cats to wild flowers and there will be den building, bug hunting and a tent of crafting materials. There will also be a number of treasure hunts, known as geocaches, throughout the day.

Trust interim project director Jane Dekker said: “We have a list of around 40 local community volunteers who are organising everything, from putting tents up, serving soup to coordinating activities.

“The event is to encourage our local residents, friends and neighbours to spend time in and celebrate our wonderful outdoors.

“We are providing transport, activities, food and shelter so people of all ages can spend time at Carie Woods.

“We also have lots of visitors who come to the area to enjoy Rannoch and its surroundings.

“We are anticipating up to 100 people being at our base camp area at any one time – this is the first time we have run the event so we will see.”

Geocaching is also an important part of the festival. The treasure-hunt style game challenges participants to use global positioning systems (GPS) to seek out a collection of items hidden in a specific place.

Perth and Kinross has been regarded as the geocaching capital of Scotland ever since the region hosted the UK Mega Cache event in 2010. Trails have been set up in Aberfeldy, Auchterarder, Blairgowrie, Crieff, Kinross and Pitlochry.

Jane said it had become an important means of attracting people to the area.

“It offers visitors – and local residents – a reason to stay for longer in the area and to explore further our natural environment,” she said.

“Being part of a global network helps secure Rannoch’s place on the outdoor activity map.”

The trust has arranged refreshments for many of the events, while transport will be available from Kinloch Rannoch to Carie Woods.

For more details, visit www. ourrannoch.co.uk

The event is to encourage our local residents, friends and neighbours to spend time in and celebrate our wonderful outdoors

Schiehallion and Loch Rannoch. The Dawn to Dusk festival is designed to attract visitors to the area.