Ullapool creel Christmas tree that wowed J K Rowling set for big 2023 switch-on

AN imaginative Christmas creel tree that turned the head of Harry Potter creator J K Rowling will again be the centrepiece of a community's festive lights display.

Ullapool's Creel Tree has captured the imagination of locals and visitors alike, inspiring a number of copycat creations across the country.

The Ullapool Fire and Light community group is behind the winter lights display which aims to warm hearts at a colder time of the year and attract visitors off-season.

That goal was given quite the boost back in December of 2017 when J K Rowling sang the praises of the creel tree, sharing an image with her then 13 million followers (she has accrued a million more since then, give or take). She posted: "How beautiful is this? Ullapool, a coastal town in Scotland, has a Christmas tree made of creels, with a crab on top."

The village's display has been an eagerly anticipated fixture of the local event's calendar ever since.

Ullapool Fire and Light has signalled this year's switch on, at the creel tree, will take place on Friday, December 1 at 5.30pm.

One poster summed up the feelings of many, writing: "Cannot wait to see it again, so beautiful."

Another wrote: "Absolutely fabulous tree well worth going to see it!"

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