5 places to take the family for a Christmas break in Scotland

Spend a magical few nights at Atholl Palace, a hotel on the edge of Pitlochry. Picture: Nilfanion\Wikipedia

Take a trip to a beautiful Highland resort with MacDonald Aviemore Hotel’s Christmas break

(Aviemore Highland Resort, Aviemore, Highlands, PH22 1PN)

Aviemore is rightly described as one of the most beautiful examples of a Highland village and the scenery that surrounds it is truly breathtaking.

This Christmas, the MacDonald Hotel Resort is offering a fun three day package (from £176.00 per night, per family of four) that’s great value and runs from Christmas Eve through to the day after Boxing Day and includes a family Christmas lunch and even a pantomime.

Keep the kids entertained with the play area and indoor pool while you enjoy a leisurely soak in the jacuzzi or work out in the gym.

The package also includes a wander up to ‘Santa’s Highland Home’ - where each child will receive a gift on Christmas Eve) - the Aviemore village parade and even a visit from Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Day.

Enjoy a stay at a beautiful Lochside Lodge

(Kilcamb Lodge Hotel and Restaurant, Strontian, Argyll, PH36 4HY, 01967402257)

Get away from it all this Christmas with a relaxing few days in the beautiful surrounds of Argyll. Nestled on the shores of Loch Sunart in Ardnamurchan, Kilcamb Lodge Hotel and Restaurant offers a great three day package this holiday season for those looking for a quieter break.

Enjoy a 2 AA Rosette candlelit dining each evening, a full Scottish breakfast each morning, a Christmas gift for each room and a wonderful traditional Christmas lunch.

Spend Christmas in your very own Scottish castle

(Glenapp Castle, Ballantrae, Girvan KA26 0NZ, 01465 831212)

What could be more magical than staying in your very own castle this Christmas? Glenapp is a fairytale castle hidden on the beautiful Ayrshire coast in Ballantrae, Scotland. A five star hotel, the rooms have stunning views out to the Firth of Clyde, taking in the famous volcanic outcrop of Ailsa Craig, the Isle of Arran, Holy Island and on a clear day, the hills of Northern Ireland.

For Christmas, the castle is offering carols by candlelight, a six-course dinner on Christmas Eve, presents in your room or under the Christmas Tree as well as dinner and a ceilidh band on Christmas Day.

Celebrate in style with a five-star Christmas in the capital

(The Scotsman Hotel, 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1TR, 0131 556 5565)

Spoil your family with the Scotsman Hotel’s luxurious Christmas Experience – a three-night package at the Edinburgh five-star hotel from the 24th through to the 26th of December, at £500 per person (£250 per child), that includes a champagne reception and three-course dinner on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day there is a nine-course lunch and a screening of a classic Christmas film in the hotel’s private cinema with popcorn and ice cream. On Boxing Day relax with afternoon tea and access to the Scotsman Spa and Health Club or head out onto Princes Street to take advantage of the sales.

Go traditional with a stay at the stunning Atholl Palace

Atholl Palace, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5LX, 01796 472400)

Bring a little bit of Disney’s Frozen to life for your children this Christmas with a stay in the picturesque Atholl Palace. Looking like it has sprung from the pages of a fairytale, the hotel is surrounded by the rolling hills of Perthshire and its turrets can be seen poking high above the forest that surrounds it from miles around.

Offering plenty of fun over the festive period, their Christmas package includes everything from a candlelit dinner on Christmas Eve and a Christmas Day Lunch (with a very special guest) to a Pantomime at a theatre in Perth.

Situated close to the Victorian town of Pitlochry, the castle is the ideal place to enjoy the festivities and should you wish to venture outside then the House of Bruar offers the perfect place to get some great deals with some Boxing Day shopping.