One of the pleasures of parenthood is experiencing joy through the eyes of your child and I can barely think of a better example of it than the Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry. I watched my three-year-old daughter Alessia wander around Faskally Wood rapt for over an hour, completely spellbound by the visual and aural delights on display. All wrapped up to brave the night air, this magical, mystical wood of fairy tales come to life through light and music utterly captivated her.

And it's not just for the kids, there's plenty of fun to be had for adults taking a stroll on a crisp Autumn evening. There's just something gently soothing about the melding of clean countryside air with the sound and light technology used to bring this event to life.

For naysayers, cynics or scaredy-cats (there may be some who watched the Blair Witch Project at an impressionable age who find the prospect of circling around a forest a touch creepy) you can wander with some delicious mulled wine and truly fantastic fresh doughnuts, crisp and hot, from one of the food stands dotted around. You're sold now, surely?

(Image: We are cunningly good)

The show, which attracted 78,000 visitors last year has become a wild success and is estimated to bring in over £10m to the local economy on an annual basis. In the 23 years it's been active, attendances have steadily grown to the extent they now offer something akin to a second summer to the gorgeous Victorian town that's one of the tourist jewels of verdant Perthshire.

It's a word-of-mouth success story but the desire to attend has also been driven by several awards including one this year from Visit Scotland. But the boon for the town extends further than mere baubles - all proceeds from the event are distributed to local charities. A well-illustrated board at the entrance details the many good causes that were boosted to the tune of £100,000 last year alone.

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So it's no surprise a sense of togetherness and local authenticity permeate and many of the staff are volunteers from the local area. Our driver Mark, the outstanding concierge at our home from home for the night at Fonab Castle Hotel, said the event has completely transformed the town in the Autumn months from sleepy to thriving over the last two decades so perhaps it's no surprise to see it warmly embraced.

You can't just pitch up at the Enchanted Forest and the system in place is a bus service from Pitlochry. We were told that it might be very busy to get from the village centre to Faskally but no such issues arrived and as we whizzed through a well-organised queue and onto the awaiting transportation for a five-minute journey northwest. Dropped off at the event, the mood was immediately set by dazzling colours illuminating the forest, beckoning visitors in for a closer look. Alessia, wide-eyed, said it all with a "Wow.".

The immersive, outdoor experience holds up to its billing as a 'symphony of nature' from the get-go with the individual scenes showcasing an animal (the frogs were a favourite of the toddler) or flower you might see in this natural habitat.

The most impressive of these is a dancing water and light show over Loch Dunmore - think the Bellagio Water Show in Las Vegas without the oppressive heat and clamorous Americans. Another impressive section was the innovative sonic sculpture called In Bloom. Funded by Creative Scotland and designed by Kumquat Lab art studio, it combines design, light and interactive technology. The flower-like installation is visually stunning and allows visitors to create a tune by interacting with parts of the work.

Alessia McFarlane wanders through Faskally Woods Alessia McFarlane wanders through Faskally Woods (Image: Jonny McFarlane)You can walk around the circuit as many times as you wish to fully drink in the ambience but once was enough for us after an hour or so of boisterous excitement. It had all proven too much for little Alessia who having strutted and jigged around, saw her energy wither and demand to be carried before promptly falling asleep, the ultimate toddler - and parent - stamp of approval.

As we whisked her back to the wonderful five-star Fonab, her little eyes fluttered away and I wondered if she was back in a happy place, dancing merrily through Fascally Woods.

The Enchanted Forest is open now until November 3rd and tickets are available here.