THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES got under way in Moray in some style on Saturday when three of the region’s largest communities drew thousands to their lights being turned on.
Large crowds were drawn despite cold and wet conditions with people in Elgin particularly impressed by their £50,000 new lights put on show for the first time this year.
A day of fun organised by Elgin BID saw a wide range of entertainment laid on throughout the day in Moray’s regional capital – ending with the town centre being illuminated with an “absolutely beautiful” light show.
“It was a lovely day and we had big crowds – although it was a bit damp in the morning,” Elgin BID’s manager Gill Neil said, adding: “The reindeer parade was very popular with hundreds of people lining the road to see them.
“The new lights looked absolutely beautiful – really lovely, we were delighted with them. It was very much a community event and lovely having all the children involved.”
In Lossiemouth the crowds were drawn on a bitterly cold evening that even saw a flurry of snow – fortunately when Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson arrived a fashionable ten minutes late to turn on the town’s lights the weather cleared.
Meanwhile in Forres a full day of entertainment brought people flocking into town with the Victorian Market in the Tolbooth and craft fair in the Town Hall proving particularly attractive as freezing showers fell on the town.
Again, however, the weather cleared enough to allow hundreds to enjoy the lights being switched on for the official start of the festive season.