People from across the north-east have been invited to bid a fond farewell to the spectacular Light The North lighthouse sculptures in a special event at Gordon Barracks in Aberdeen.
All 50 of the unique artworks – plus the 90 little lighthouses painted by schools, community groups and artists – will be gathered at the barracks at Bridge of Don for the three-day event from October 29 to 31.
The “Farewell Weekend” will give people a chance to see all the lighthouses in one place before they are auctioned to raise money for Clan Cancer Support, with tickets on sale from today, Wednesday September 15.
“We can’t quite believe we are almost at the end of the Light the North trail which culminates in our Farewell Weekend and then our auction,” said Fiona Fernie, Clan’s head of income generation and business development and project director for Light the North.
“The people of north-east have taken the trail to their hearts and been so involved in visiting all 50 lighthouses across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.
Shone a light across the north-east
“These lighthouses, designed and painted by professional, emerging and as yet undiscovered artists, have shone their lights across the north-east for 10 weeks, encouraging people to explore and discover the region like never before.”
Fiona said she had been delighted to see lighthouse “adventurers” sharing their personal stories and photographs as they visit the sculptures across the country ever since the trail was launched on August 9.
She said: “The Farewell Weekend is a special event which makes it accessible for those who may not have had the opportunity to visit all the sculptures and gives them one last chance to be able to tick them off their list when they visit – whether that’s via the Lighthouse Trail app or in their sticker book.”
Visitors to the event will have a 90-minute slot to take selfies with the sculptures as they collect their final lighthouses.
Fiona thanked the team at Wild In Art who partnered with Clan to create the ambitious and visionary trail, as well as local charity partners, sponsors – which included the P&J, Evening Express and Original 106, as well as the artists who created the fantastic pieces.
Everyone welcome for final send-off
“Last but not least to the people of the north-east – individuals, couples, families, businesses, schools and not forgetting the pets who have got out there, visited the trail and made a real difference. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Farewell Weekend for the sculptures’ final send-off.”
Charlie Langhorne, co-founder and managing director of Wild In Art, said the trail could not have happened without the widespread support and generosity it attracted.
He said: “The success of this trail is testimony to the hard work and commitment from the team of staff and volunteers at Clan who have battled through a pandemic to bring this amazing spectacle to the north-east.
“Please support this wonderful local charity by attending the farewell weekend and bidding at the auction so they can continue to support the people in your communities who need Clan the most.”
How to get tickets for Farewell Weekend
Bookings for the Farewell Weekend are available for a 90-minute slot each day on Friday October 29 and Saturday October 30 from 10am to 5.30pm and on Sunday October 31 from 10am to 4.30pm.
There will be a quiet hour on Sunday from 10am to 11am, when no music will be played throughout the event site and suitable for adults and children with specific sensory needs.
Entrance tickets are priced at £5 per adult and £3 per child plus online booking fees and can be purchased at https://www.lightthenorth.co.uk/event/farewell-weekend/