FEW places lend themselves better to the winter wonderland themes beloved of Christmas cards and songs than Scotland. Be it city landmarks or the rugged wilds, here are some of our favourite festive spots.
George Square, Glasgow
It has been a tradition for generations to go to see the Christmas lights at George Square. Sadly, the big festive switch-on – where thousands converge in front of Glasgow City Chambers to ooh-and-ahh at the illuminations – was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even so, we can still reminisce about joyful visits in bygone times. Perhaps you visited in 1962 when this snowy shot, above, was taken? Things have changed over the decades. In 2016, the lights used since 1990 – when Glasgow was European Capital of Culture – were replaced. Of course, almost immediately, folk began to lament that they "missed the bells", referring to the distinctive, erstwhile decorations.
Visit peoplemakeglasgow.com
READ MORE: Two Doors Down stars Jonathan Watson and Doon Mackichan get festive
Cairngorm Reindeer Herd
Britain's only free-ranging reindeer herd has lived in the Cairngorm mountains since 1952. These tame and friendly animals are a delight to meet up close. There are around 150 in the herd, ranging from Glenmore Forest Park as far as the Glenlivet Estate, some 30 miles away. You can see why Santa loves reindeer so much.
If you're still looking for Christmas gift ideas, it is possible to adopt a reindeer for £42 a year. Check out the profiles for adorable beasts such as Slioch, Rubiks, Jenga and Stuc on the website. Note: although the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre is open, those from other areas of Scotland with travel restrictions should not visit or try to book tickets at present.
Visit cairngormreindeer.co.uk
READ MORE: Scots star Nicholas Ralph on the magic of All Creatures Great and Small
Christmas tree on The Mound, Edinburgh
There is always something magical about the Christmas tree on The Mound. Standing 60ft tall, its lofty perch gives it the appearance of gazing down towards nearby Princes Street, quietly observing shoppers flit back and forth along the busy thoroughfare. There has been a Christmas tree on The Mound since 1949, gifted by Hordaland County Council as a token of gratitude to Scotland for its assistance to Norway during the Second World War. This year's tree is accompanied by another poignant gesture of thanks, a 60ft-wide rainbow dedicated to the key workers for their tireless efforts throughout the pandemic.
Visit edinburgh.org
Please follow current Scottish Government advice regarding travel restrictions in your area. Visit gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here