Bumper crowds expected for Halloween festival at Inverness' Ness Islands, says Highland Council
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A BUMPER crowd is expected to attend the Halloween shows on the Ness Islands this weekend.
The Inverness Winter Festival opens on Friday and Saturday with Highland Council’s annual Halloween shows.
Hundreds are expected to don costumes and attend the free shows, which will see the Ness Islands completely transformed with characters and scenes from screen adaptations of the Halloween short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".
This year more than 150 young people from Eden Court CREATIVE groups across the Highlands will be lying in wait around the 1300 metre circuit to entertain the spectators alongside a number of stunning projections created for the event by Evanton based Arts in Motion.
"Amongst the various things lying in wait for those brave enough to venture on to Ness Islands will be the Headless Horseman, scarecrows that will scare more than just birds, giant spiders, dancing pumpkins and a grand 17th century ghost ball in the main arena," said a spokeswoman.
"Since it was first staged, the Halloween show on Ness Islands has grown into one of the biggest fancy dress events staged in Scotland. Hundreds of families are inspired to dress up each year in order to help the city scare away an annual invasion of ghosts, beasties and unmentionables.
"It has also been adopted by revellers as the perfect excuse to create a spectacular Halloween carnival in the pubs, clubs and streets of the Highland capital," they added.
The shows will run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on both nights. Spectators are asked to park well away from the entrances and allow themselves plenty of time to walk to the islands. Parking in the Bught Park area is very limited and some road closures will be in force between 5pm and 9pm on both Friday and Saturday evening.
These include:
• Ness Walk northbound between its junction with Ballifeary Lane and its con-junction with Bught Road. Access for southbound traffic will be as normal.
• Bught Road northbound between its con-junction with Ness Walk and its junction with Bught Avenue. Access for southbound traffic will be maintained at all times.
• Bught Road will be closed between its junction with Bught Avenue and its junction with the access to the ‘Highland Archive Centre’. Access for parking will be controlled by personnel employed by the event organiser.
• Bught Avenue will be closed southbound between its junction with Bught Lane and its junction with Bught Road. Vehicle access for northbound traffic will be maintained.
Pedestrian and emergency vehicle access will not be affected by any of the restrictions.
Alternative routes for other vehicles will be available using Bught Road (part), Bught Lane, Bught Drive, Bught Avenue, Glenurquhart Road, Bishop’s Road, Ness Walk (part), Ballifeary Lane and Ballifeary Road.
