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Welcome to Christmas in Perthshire

In this blog post, we share with you a local event happening in Crieff, Perthshire: Christmas at Crieff Hydro.

If you have visited us for an English language immersion holiday, you might like to keep in touch with our town.

If you are considering joining us for a language holiday, this blog will give you a taste of your time in Scotland. 

All English learners, read on for a practice language lesson at the end of this blog!

Keeping Spirits Up

Despite being still deeply affected by Covid, This week, our town is gearing up for Christmas.

It seems those action takers, Kids’ Week in Crieff have been waving their magic wands again and making good things happen for our community. This time, it is by invitation from Crieff’s famous Hydro Hotel. It is also in partnership with PKAVS Young Carers.
 
Together, this collaboration between a luxury hotel and grassroots community groups has built a winter wonderland. What’s more, it is available to hotel guests and all residents of the Strathearn region in Perthshire, Scotland.

Christmas at Crieff Hydro - decorated trees
North Pole Trail, Crieff Hydro Hotel

Get the Most from Your Visit

Start with a wander up to ‘The North Pole’, greet Room on The Broom characters, and let it go through the ‘Frozen‘ scene (yes, that Frozen), before being enchanted with a gorgeous fairy world.
 
If you have a bit of change in your pocket, treat yourselves to a hot chocolate (or a mulled wine) from the Hydro’s beautiful 1950’s vintage bus.
Christmas at Crieff Hydro - dusk at the hotel hot chocolate van
Hot chocolate pit stop, Crieff Hydro

Crieff During COVID 

There are extra treats and activities for hotel residents (and additional paid options to pre-book for locals), including an encounter with Santa and/or his reindeer.

There’s a really generous adventure to be had for free. It is obviously all the more special as there is so much that cannot be happening at the moment.
 
Just like the rest of the UK, the townspeople of Crieff have shown amazing ingenuity and fortitude during the social restrictions due to the COVID pandemic.  We have seen businesses and charities coming together for the same causes as never before.
 
Locally, we’ve seen pubs sponsor hot food deliveries to vulnerable people and StrathearnJAC (Junior Agricultural Club) teamed up with the Crieff Co-op to hand out selection boxes to the town’s primary school-aged population.
 
During the first lockdown, with the Kids’ Week Festival freshly cancelled, the KWIC team made sure that the magic still happened in town with their character trail.
Learn English in Perthshire Christmas Strathearn JAC Language School
Meet Santa, organised by StrathearnJAC and Crieff Food Co-op

 

“There’s a really generous adventure to be had for free – and it is obviously all the more special as there is so much that cannot be happening at the moment”.

Ruth, 2020

 

Socially Engaged Business? Or Escaposm?

The hydro is otherworldly, and although in Crieff, it offers a sublime getting-away-from-it-all experience that is separate from the town – and remoteness is part of its attraction.
 
However, I wonder if they haven’t missed a trick by not making it more obvious that they got two community groups involved in this project – it would be great promotion for both Kids’ Week in Crieff and PKAVs Young Carers if all their visitors were presented with a bit of information about these two charities.


In this age, we like our businesses socially engaged, and in the battle for funding, website clicks and social media presence is vital for accessing sparse public funds.

Would a reminder about these charities interfere with the escapism of a holiday, or make you feel better about your stay?

 Lose Yourself in Christmas at Crieff Hydro

Just in case you are not of an age to get excited about Santa and Frozen, the experience of just wandering around the beautiful Hydro at dusk, hearing Christmas music being played by the bus and children whooping about as they discover Elsa standing in the dusk should not be underestimated. It’s a truly magnificent, magical place to be!
Christmas at Crieff Hydro - dusk at the hotel

The majestic Crieff Hydro Hotel

Learn English in Perthshire Christmas Magic at Crieff Hydro Language School
And thank you Kids’ Week in Crieff, and Young Carers – you are angels!
Christmas at Crieff Hydro - tunnel of lights
Christmas at Crieff Hydro - rainbow lights
Christmas at Crieff Hydro - pink mouse
Christmas at Crieff Hydro - light decorations
Just for fun, here’s a quick stop motion film taken at the Fairy Trail (and edited in FilmmakerPro).

Learn English in our Community in Perthshire

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed our dip into what’s happening in our local region.

Hopefully, you have a feel for our wonderful, friendly community in Crieff.

It’s a special wee town for a unique language-learning holiday!

 

About this Language School Blog

We cover a broad range of topics in our language school blogs – some a lighthearted look at Scotland, others an in-depth look at art and culture. There’s something for everyone.

If you’ve liked this blog, you might want to read another snowy one:

Learn English in Perthshire | Ways of Seeing | Snow & Menhir

Further Information

Learn more about Kids’ Week in Crieff here
Find out about PKAVS Young Carers here
Find out about Christmas at Crieff Hydro here
Merry Christmas from everyone at Blue Noun!
 
Live Language Learning!

Blue Noun English Language Challenge

 

First, an important art word: sublime

“The theory of sublime art was put forward by Edmund Burke in A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful published in 1757. He defined the sublime as an artistic effect productive of the strongest emotion the mind is capable of feeling. “

 

Tate website,  Art Terms, see more 

Your Blue Noun English Language Challenge is:

Tell us about a sublime light show.

Where have you been that the light or lighting was sublime?

How did it change the space/place?

Was it engineered or natural and what were the effects/results.

Tell us about it in the comments below. Write as much as you like, and if you would like us to check &  correct your English, write CP  (correct please) at the end.

Live language learning!

 

“Tell us about a sublime light show.”