A SCOTTISH city has cancelled its Christmas lights festival at the last minute due to warnings of severe weather.
On Thursday, the Met Office issued an amber weather alert for parts of central Scotland, including Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, Loch Tay, and much of the Cairngorms National Park. It came on top of a yellow alert for wind.
Officials warned of travel disruption amid heavy snow on Saturday, with a “good chance that some rural communities could become cut off”.
In response, Perth’s Christmas lights switch-on weekend has been cancelled, with organisers saying it was the first time ever (other than during Covid).
The free two-day event was due to take place on Saturday and Sunday and feature performances from dance legend Cascada as well as Massaoke, Beats of Brazil, The Crom, and Unison Anthems.
Renfrewshire Council later announced that Renfrew's Christmas lights event, planned for Saturday, had also been cancelled "due to the Met Office yellow weather warning of rain, snow and wind".
A council spokesperson said: "The town's Christmas lights will still be switched on from 5pm, and we are planning alternative festive family activities for Renfrew over the next few weeks. Details will be released as soon as possible."
However, an important notice issued on Friday said: “Unfortunately, after closely monitoring the weather forecasts and consulting with our suppliers, we've decided to cancel the Christmas lights switch-on weekend activities on Saturday and Sunday due to safety concerns and potential difficulties with travel from outwith Perth. In particular, the yellow warning for strong winds which could pose a public safety risk with large structures like the stages.
“We are also aware that with the wider amber and yellow weather warnings there are people who would otherwise be involved in supporting these events may be needed to provide responses to the impact of weather elsewhere in Perth and Kinross.
“Perth’s Christmas lights switch-on event has been a staple of the city centre event calendar for many years and, barring Covid, this is the first time we have ever had to cancel it.
“Unfortunately, due to the timescales and costs involved, we will not be able to reschedule the event to an alternative date. However, the Christmas cabins and Santa Grotto will remain in place as advertised.
“We deeply regret and share the disappointment of everyone who was looking forward to the event. We’re sure you agree that safety must come first. Thank you for your understanding.”
SNP MP Pete Wishart, who represents Perth and Kinross-shire, said the cancellation was a “real shame” but “totally understandable” due to the weather warnings.
