Staycation
Gibside Tyne & Wear
A Most Magical Time It wouldn’t be the most magical time of the year without a twinkling Christmas light trail. With everything from enchanting fairy-lit tunnels to themed light shows, these after-dark illuminated experiences have boomed in popularity over recent years. Throw in some mulled wine and festive music, and Christmas light trails have everything you need to add some sparkle to your winter this year. With so many to choose from, we’ve put together a list of the top Christmas light trails in the UK. Christmas at the Botanics, Edinburgh Founded all the way back in 1670, Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden’s lush landscape makes the perfect backdrop for this botany-themed trail that will be returning for the fifth year this Christmas. Wander amongst laser lights, giant luminescent sculptures, tunnels of light, giant baubles and sparkling snowflakes. Be sure to hang around for the grand finale too; a technicolour light show cast across the garden’s Inverleith House, this spectacle is just another way Edinburgh brings this historic facade to life.
Christmas at Gibside, Tyne and Wear This spectacular light trail is what happens when lighting specialists, Ignite, partner up with one of the National Trust’s grandest Georgian estates. These eighteenth-century gardens near Newcastle are transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland each Christmas, complete with glowing woodland mushrooms, lantern-lit trails, illuminated trees and picture-perfect tunnels filled with twinkling lights. Don’t forget to look out for Father Christmas amidst all the action too! Lightopia, Manchester Lighting up Heaton Park for yet another year, this award-winning annual festival of light is bringing with it fresh installations and exciting new routes this Christmas. It’s advised to come hungry, as there’s an entire food court for your taste buds to explore. Once you’ve refuelled, an interactive music space, astronomy zone filled with space-themed installations, and synchronised light, sound and water show await.
Royal Bontanic Gardens, Edinburgh
Lightopia, Manchester
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