Mystery, Magic And Fabulous Faerie Tales
There’s fun for all the family in one enchanted forest in Luss
IF anyone can say that there are faeries at the bottom of their garden, Patrick Colquhoun can. As head of retail and leisure at Luss Estates, one of his responsibilities is the Loch Lomond Faerie Trail which was set up in 2018. The woodland trail is 1.6km
(one mile) of twist and turns, once the domain of walkers but now the haunt of mythical beings. There may be sceptics but that doesn’t bother Patrick at all.
“Woodlands are full of mystery and magic, whether you believe in faeries or not,” he says. “There is so much interest in faeries in Scotland. Our intention was to develop on the interest in faerie folklore by creating a trail that would appeal not just to kids but to grown-ups too.
“We have always been aiming to encourage families to enjoy the beautiful woodland around Luss. Our Scary Faerie Trail around Hallowe’en was very well received and this year we are planning a more grown-up trail.”
But how do you find the faeries? It’s quite simple. Follow the directions in the guide book provided to navigate around the trail, solve the quizzes and puzzles and they will all be found. You’ll be asked to find the missing faerie dust, hidden in the woods by Murdoch the mischievous faerie, and the route will take you past the Worry Tree, the Faerie School, the Dummy Tree and the Tooth Faerie Tree. If you didn’t believe in faeries when you started, you will when you finish!
“It usually takes between one and two hours to complete,” says Patrick, “depending on how much exploring the children want to do. This year we are planning to extend the trail by another 50%. We are redesigning our trail markers to include more dragons and unicorns, and explore the Scottish folklore around both.”
Mum Cheryl-leigh Fraser, of Linwood, Renfrewshire, is a big fan of the trail . She says, “It’s an amazing family