The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Castle festival puts focus on children
When Wildhood founder and music fan Melanie Ibbotson became a mum she missed going to festivals.
So when she discovered a “fairytale” castle in Kinrossshire she saw the chance to create a new festival for parents like herself to share with their children.
Six years after she staged the first Wildhood, Mel and son David, 10, will welcome festivalgoers back to Tullibole Castle.
They expect around 2,500 people to attend
Wildhood from June 7 to 9, many of them camping for the whole weekend.
The festival is billed as Scotland’s only dedicated children’s camping festival.
It promises magic and wonder, with the castle grounds transformed into a living artwork.
And Mel reckons it’s the perfect way for festival fans like herself to recreate the experience with their children.
Events and marketing specialist Mel, 49, lives with her family in Pittenweem, Fife, but is originally from Dundee.
Mel aims to create a wonderland for families at the castle.
She said: “I loved going to festivals but it all changes when you have a family.
“I love live music. I always used to go to T in the Park back in the day and I’ve been to festivals down south.”
The idea for Wildhood struck Mel when she was doing marketing for Tullibole Castle.
She said: “I fell in love with the castle and the whole site. It’s like a fairytale, just gorgeous.
“When I saw it I thought ‘oh my goodness, this would be so magical for a children’s festival’.
“It’s a 17th Century castle set in a beautiful park and woodland. It has a moat, a medieval church and gravestones.
“It has the most wonderful parkland which turns into the campsite.”
The festival appeals to parents looking to give their children a family adventure.
And it’s ideal for those looking to relive the festival days of their youth but this time with their children.
“They jump at the chance to be able to do something like that again,” said Mel.
“It’s also a nice introduction for the kids.
“For a lot of families it’s probably the first time the kids have ever been to a festival.
“It’s a lovely, friendly and safe little community for the weekend.”
An added incentive is the opportunity for a tech-free weekend in the countryside.
Wildhood’s promotional literature says it is “on a mission to separate us from our screens and get lost in a world of magic and wonder.”
Mobile phones and other gadgets take a back seat at Wildhood.
Children are too busy sailing mini pedalos in the moat, learning circus skills or taiko drumming.
Or they might be climbing trees or getting lost in the castle’s maze.
In the evening they are spellbound by storytelling, campfires, song and dance.
Many festivalgoers will dress up in line with this year’s theme of carnival.
“I love the idea of families getting involved with lots of activities they just wouldn’t do at home together like stone carving, circus skills and graffiti,” said Mel.
Mel is committed to ensuring it is inclusive and accessible activities include a pony and trap suitable for wheelchairs.