What does it take to build Ullapool’s creel Christmas tree

The people of Ullapool have marked the countdown to Christmas by building a tree from fishing creels.

The annual 30ft (9m) tall display is organised by community group Ullapool Fire and Light Fund.

Each year, the village has constructed its tree from creels – loaf-shaped pots, made using a frame covered in netting, which are used for catching shellfish such as crabs and langoustines – and then covered it in lights.

Gordon Wink, one of the volunteers involved in the project, explained how the village has been creating the eyecatching focal point for the last 10 years.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Lunchtime Live programme that the idea came about after local man Robert Hicks asked if anything could be done to “brighten up the dark nights” in winter.

Robert was the organiser of the Loopallu music festival, which was held in the village for 15 years until 2019.

It was suggested that the village celebrate its fishing heritage with a tree made from creels.

“At the start we had to beg and borrow stuff,” said Gordon.

But lottery funding later allowed the volunteers to buy their own creels – all 340 of them.

“It takes two full days to build with help from volunteers and the harbour provides us with lots of the equipment,” said Gordon.

The tree is constructed on a disc-shaped base, with a timber frame up through the centre and weights to keep everything in place – especially in windy weather.

“We had a storm last week which caused a wee bit of damage,” said Gordon.

The creels are stacked around the frame and then the whole structure is decorated with multi-coloured Christmas tree lights.

The finishing touch is the “star” – an outline of a crab with white lights.

The tree’s location near the harbour allows for another neat touch when it comes to officially switching on the lights.

CalMac’s Ullapool to Stornoway ferry blows its horn three times and the lights are then turned on.

“When the lights are first turned on you think: ‘Oh, that’s quite smart’,” said Gordon.

“Hundreds of people come down for it – one lady travels 500 miles from the south of England every year to see it.”