Fire festival will light up Crieff

Crieff will dazzle as part of an ambitious new festival of fire and light in March.

The medieval-themed celebration will see streets transformed with colourful displays, animations and theatrical performances.

It is hoped the six-night ticketed event will bring in visitors from across the country, boosting the local economy.

Organisers Crieff Succeeds had originally planned to stage the event at Drummond Castle, but manager David McCann decided it would have greater impact in the town centre.

The group is poised to secure £24,900 from Perth and Kinross Council.

A projected spending plan shows with local authority support and good ticket sales, plus £5,000 of sponsorship, the event should break even.

Mr McCann said: “The Fire and Light Festival would be a wonderful opportunity to showcase Crieff’s cultural and heritage assets, but also to both highlight and celebrate the town’s fascinating history.

“I hope that next year we will be shining a very bright light on the beautiful and historic town of Crieff, which will be seen by folk from all over the nation.”

Visitors would follow a trail using audio-visual headsets, pausing at five performance sites along the way.

The performances will draw from the area’s Jacobite connections and tell the story of how most of Crieff was destroyed by fire in the early 18th Century.

Organisers have been working on the plans with teams behind other successful outdoor events, including the Enchanted Forest and the Spirits of Scone.