Born To Be Wild

This award-winning festival in Perthshire promises fun for children and families in the great Scottish outdoors - whatever the weather

- PAUL FISHER COCKBURN

ARE you looking for something that will entice your kids away from screens and instead see them having fun in the great outdoors - whatever the weather?

The Wildhood Festival, in the heart of Perthshire, could be just what you - and they are looking for.

"Wildhood is an annual weekend festival that I set up in 2018," explains festival director and "Wildhood Festival mama" Mel Jarron. "It's aimed towards families with children aged 12 and under, so primary school age.

"The idea is that they're enjoying good quality time together with their families, creating memories of something a little bit different that they've done together.

"They can come for the day or the whole weekend - they can camp or bring a campervan, they can glamp - there's all sorts of different options. It has very much a festival vibe, but it's really designed for children."

It's all about experiencing the outdoors and, for budget-conscious parents, it has the advantage of everything - all the activities, experiences ans workshops -being included in the ticket price.

"That means the children are leading the adults round the festival - whatever they see, they can get involved in. It creates a relaxed atmosphere for parents, too, because they're not in and out of their pockets every five minutes. That's a common bit of feedback I get back every year."

The range of activities on offer are a real mixed bag, but focusing on the arts and the outdoors, mixing entertainment with eco-explorations and other off-the-beaten-track experiences and adventure pursuits.

"There's traditional things like stone carving and tree climbing-in harnesses - as well as circus skills, graffiti in the woods, slack lining, lots of music.