10 invigorating autumn trips

Enchanted Forest Faskally Wood until October 29

WE all know that Scotland is beautiful at any time of the year.

That’s both beautiful to look at and a beautiful place to do things.

But autumn, with its rich colours and before we get into the worst of the weather, is oh-so-special.

A walk through our woodlands, with the rich gold, red and warm orange leaves is a sheer delight.

And the Enchanted Forest adds something else.

It’s an outdoor sound and light show that takes place at Forestry Commission Scotland’s Faskally Wood near Pitlochry.

It started at the end of September, runs right through until October 29 and certainly comes with an impressive pedigree. It’s a three-times winner of best cultural event at the Scottish Event Awards.

The event has been running for 16 years and such is its reputation, 2017 was the fastest-selling show ever and more than 70,000 visitors will enjoy the spectacle.

It involves walking through an award-winning panorama that fuses the creative talents of lighting designers Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes and sound designers RJ McConnell and Jon Beales.

The gorgeous colours of the forest provide the perfect backdrop to the dazzling visuals and innovative design that plays out to an original music score including a new orchestral piece.

Oir an Uisge – Gaelic for Edge of the Water – is the name for this year’s show and it takes its inspiration from magnificent Loch Dunmore that’s at the heart of Faskally. In fact, the Loch is even more visible thanks to Forestry Scotland removing non-native rhododendrons from the forest.

One of the popular elements in the past was the storytelling yurt and it’s been made even bigger this year.

In-house storytellers Claire and Lindsey are the duo spinning yarns roughly every half hour.

And if all the fresh air works up an appetite, then there’s plenty to enjoy, from mulled wine and hot chocolate to hot dogs and tasty burgers.

Visitors can also feel they are doing a bit of good while they savour the spectacle. The event is run by a registered charity which last year donated funds to more than a dozen projects from choral societies to school activities. Visit enchantedforest.org.uk for more info.

And here’s a look at some of the other events to savour, walks to take and super routes to drive this autumn.