Plug pulled on plans for magical Christmas woodland adventure near The Falkirk Wheel

The Rough Castle Christmas Experience had promised visitors “a magical Christmas woodland adventure” at the site near The Falkirk Wheel from December 16 to 23.

Following on from the success of previous events including the critically acclaimed Legion in 2018 and A Christmas Miracle in 2021, the team at Rough Castle Experiences were hoping to provide an even bigger festive experience for the community this year in partnership with Scottish Canals.

The event was launched on social media and tickets went on sale on September 1, however this week organisers have confirmed the festivities will no longer be going ahead.

Scottish Canals said that winter works are set to take place on The Falkirk Wheel from the end of the month until March with large parts of the site being fenced off.

In a statement on the Rough Castle Experiences Facebook page Rhiannon McQuade explained the challenges faced in organising the events in previous years, including “unfounded safety concerns” raised by Scottish Canals in 2019 that halted plans that year, the Covid-19 pandemic and “supposed capital works” by Scottish Canals last year which she says “never materialised”.

The statement said: “This year we dared to dream again. We approached Scottish Canals with a fresh idea and they agreed to partner on, the Rough Castle Christmas Experience. Months of planning went into crafting an event that would bring a bit of Christmas magic to Falkirk once more.

“Then, it all unravelled. Scottish Canals made a U-turn on our partnership agreement. An email landed in my inbox while I was on holiday, informing me that they were scaling back their support.

"As a result, the route we had promised to you is now cut by a third, Santa’s Grotto capacity reduced by 70 per cent and features like the Polar Express Tractor ride were rendered useless. We cannot model the event into the one we are advertising.

“I cannot begin to express my disappointment over this turn of events. I cannot embark on an experience that falls short of our past offerings. It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to my team and partners who have poured their hearts into this endeavour.

“This is more than a tough decision. I simply will not continue to put my reputation on the line and continue to keep disappointing my supply partners and customers through decisions made by Scottish Canals.”

The statement said that those who have purchased tickets for the event will be refunded over the next week and donations to charity partner The Driving Force will be donated.

A spokesperson for Scottish Canals said: “This year Scottish Canals’ annual winter works programme will see a £2.7m investment in The Falkirk Wheel to upgrade the 21-year-old control system which is currently in use. The Falkirk Wheel will benefit from new and innovative technologies including new water level sensory technology and improved energy efficiency and safety systems.

“Works will begin on this revolutionary upgrade from October 30, 2023 and will continue until March 31, 2024, in order not to disrupt the summer season 2024. Due to the scale and complexity of the works being undertaken large areas of The Falkirk Wheel site will be fenced off to the public and the canal will not be operational during this time.

“Following discussions with Rough Castle Experiences around the ways in which we could support the event going ahead, and after offering alternative solutions, we understand they have taken the difficult decision to cancel the whole event to retain the high levels of customer experience they offer.

“Our own Santa boat trips will be paused this year as a result of the significant and essential works that are taking place to ensure that our destination remains one of Falkirk’s top visitor attractions for years to come.”