Castlecary Depot are very excited to be involved in a new and exciting event launching in Central Scotland tomorrow, LEGION!
‘Search the woods. Find the Picts. See the magic.’
The event being held at Rough Castle Community Woodlands, once part of the great Roman Frontier, will see the woods come to life, illuminated with state of the art sound and light technology.
The idea for this event came to Rhiannon McQuade whilst running segway trips through the surrounding woodland. Rhiannon became familiar with the land and its rich history and soon decided this underused and unappreciated area was worth investment. So Rhiannon, together with business partner Tim Ford, created Rough Castle Experiences.
The event LEGION and its story draws inspiration from the history of the woodlands and neighbouring UNESCO World Heritage site – The Antonine Wall. Rhiannon states, ‘We wanted to create an event which was not only entertaining but also raises awareness of the area and its connection to the Romans.’
So what is CED Stone Group’s involvement?
As a friend of mine, Rhiannon knew of CED Stone Group and asked if the company would like to be involved in some way. This was met with great enthusiasm by myself and my colleague and sister, Anna Bilyk. We were briefed on the event theme and told to, ‘See what you can come up with’.
Anna and I drafted a plan for a feature stone display. LEGION tells of a time when Roman armies occupied the Antonine wall facing heavy resistance from the fearsome tribes of Caledonia. Pictish stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts so we thought what better way to depict these enigmatic warriors than with standing stones.
We stock a wide range of feature stones at CED but after browsing the stock we decided on Slabby Sandstone standing stones due to their wide flat surfaces and natural rustic appearance. Five stones of differing heights were selected, the tallest at just over 2m would feature a hand painted Pictish design by Anna Bilyk Artist.
Anna and I took a trip out to site to meet with Rhiannon and her team and discuss the standing stone feature and exactly what preparation would be needed for installation. We were shown particular areas which could be used for the feature but came across problems due to access restrictions. Eventually though, we found the perfect spot with flat ground, plenty of room and easy access for delivery.
The stones were delivered and installed by Castlecary’s Jim Wilson last week and the Pictish design has now been painted by Anna. It looks even better than we had imagined and most important, Rhiannon is happy, ‘I have never got so emotional about stone before. They look absolutely fantastic!’.
In addition to the standing stone display the event will feature aerial acrobats, an art exhibit by our very own Anna Bilyk, and state of the art sound and light technologies including a 20ft tall projection map. There will also be live performance art by Clan Ranald’s Combat International who have featured in films such as Gladiator, Robin Hood and Netflix’s soon to be released, The Outlaw King.
LEGION is set to be an unforgettable experience.
Don’t miss out, get your tickets now.
Emily At CED 