Scone Palace in Perthshire has announced details of its first ever ‘Forest Festival’, being held in celebration of the International Year of the Forests.

The Festival will take place over the weekend of 18th – 19th June 2011, in the magnificent natural amphitheatre of the Palace’s 19th century pinetum, which boasts many notable and ancient trees and features an avenue of exotic species and David Douglas introductions.

Announcing details of the event, Elspeth Bruce, Administrator at Scone Palace said: “The event will celebrate all aspects of forests and wood and aims to raise awareness of the importance of forests environmentally, commercially and for leisure”.

“The weekend will see a wide range of activities taking place including demonstrations by the nationally acclaimed willow sculptor Trevor Leat , wildlife trails and ancient tree treasure hunts, living history performances featuring the great plant hunters, demonstrations by woodturners and craftworkers, a Latvian chainsaw sculptor, archery, plus a BBQ and other ‘al fresco’ dining options. With a great mix of educational and fun activities, the festival promises to be a perfect day out for all the family and a great way to celebrate Father’s Day”.

A highlight of the festival will be the launch of a national competition to ‘Climb a Mile’, aimed at raising funds for the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity, when Arboriculturist Paul Hanson and colleagues from the Arboricultural Association and Forestry Commission will attempt to scale some of Scone’s highest trees!

Elspeth added: “We’re delighted to be able to support Help for Heroes in this way. The competition is sure to be a real spectacle and we’d urge everybody to come along and cheer on the competitors as they take to the tree tops in this extreme physical challenge”.

The Festival takes place from 10am – 4pm each day. Grounds only entry fee applies – Adult £5.50, Senior/Student £4.90 and Children £3.75.

Source: Scone Palace