‘It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, what nationality you are, what your beliefs are. There’s one thing that unites everybody and that’s music.’ Karen Falconer, creative director of Wavemakers Live, the company responsible for designing The Enchanted Forest, is explaining the idea behind this year’s theme which goes under the title of Symphony Of Nature. 

Located in Faskally Wood near Pitlochry, The Enchanted Forest is an immersive light trail that has enraptured visitors for decades. This ‘symphony of nature’ will follow on thematically from 2023’s grand finale by incorporating the Celtic winter goddess Beira. ‘We wanted to bring back Beira to start this year’s show, so I came up with the idea that she’s going to create a symphony of nature around our journey in The Enchanted Forest.’ As guests follow the trail, they begin with a prelude and progress through the different sections of the symphony, encountering a chorus of frogs, a butterfly kaleidoscope, and glowing dew droplets among many other spectacles.

The most exciting thing for Falconer, though, is a brand new, never-before-seen installation called In Bloom, created by Tom and Sébastien Guillen. In Bloom is a plant-shaped sculpture with elements that emit musical notes when guests interact with them. ‘It’s designed as an intuitive playful piece which connects people whether they have musical knowledge or not,’ adds Falconer. ‘The idea is that we can all join in and create something beautiful together.’ 

The design process involves a lot more than just coming up with a new theme, though, with Falconer and the rest of the Wavemakers team beginning work on the 2024 event last November. They considered audience feedback, developed the theme and installations, sourced kit, and then worked with animators, composers, and lighting designers to make everything a reality. ‘I absolutely love this process because I’m acutely aware as a parent that it’s my job to make this journey as engaging and immersive as possible. We’re living in a world where a lot of people don’t have that disposable income anymore, and for us it’s a privilege that people part with their hard-earned cash to come along to The Enchanted Forest; but it’s also a big responsibility.’ 

The responsibility extends further, too, as Wavemakers and The Enchanted Forest must be mindful of the community and its environment. The show is run by a charitable trust which directs all profits back into the local community to tackle issues such as child poverty and the cost-of-living crisis. ‘It’s a real feelgood event because you know that you’re actually helping the community.’ Falconer also has to ensure that the show is accessible to all without damaging the forest. ‘We’ve got to look at every single installation and think “okay, there are going to be kids, there are going to be buggies, there are going to be elderly people with walking sticks, there are going be people with mobility issues.”’ The team has to redo pathways, prepare for bad weather, and consider every eventuality without sacrificing the quality of their installations; and after all that, they must leave Faskally Wood exactly as they found it. ‘We’re very mindful that it’s part of nature, so there’s not one cable tie, not one bit of electrical tape left over. Every single person involved plays their part. It’s a huge collaboration.’

With many repeat visitors, one of the biggest challenges has been keeping the experience fresh and exciting from year to year. ‘My worst nightmare would be for somebody to say “oh, I saw that last year down at the Botanics” because then that’s not me doing my job,’ Falconer admits with a laugh. ‘We do a lot of research and look at what people are installing in other shows. We’ve got guys that go out to trade shows and look at new technology, and we evolve the narrative every year. It’s all about looking at what others are doing and elevating that.’ 

Part of what makes The Enchanted Forest an enduringly unique experience is also the location itself. Falconer explains how the natural features of Faskally Wood provided part of the inspiration for this year’s theme. ‘One of the strongest sounds in nature is water, whether you’re at the seashore with the waves crashing in or you’ve got rain thrashing down through forest leaves, so I took my inspiration from Dunmore Loch, around which the forest sits.’ After guests complete the figure-eight circuit around the forest, they’ll witness the symphony’s grand finale of a dancing fountain. ‘It’s very much an attack on the senses; you’ve got the natural smells of the forest, you’ve got the sound, you’ve got the beauty of what you see, what you hear. It’s enhancing what’s already there.’

The Enchanted Forest, Faskally Wood, Pitlochry, until Sunday 3 November.