MacDonald Resort Aviemore – Meet Santa and real reindeer on a Highlands Christmas Weekend - Scotland on Sunday Travel
As we drove up the A9 towards Aviemore with snow on the mountains and Christmas music playing in the car, we were ready to kickstart the season with festive weekend away. We’d had a tough year and were very much looking forward to some quality family time. The Santa Weekend package at the MacDonald Aviemore Resort looked like just the tonic we needed (with some gin).
The festive fun started immediately. On arrival at the resort, we were greeted by two very jolly, dancing elves who gave the children coloured finger torches and directed us to where to park up and check-in. Check-in was not the usual dreary experience. While the adults spoke to the receptionist and collected our welcome pack, the children were entertained by elves called Icy Elf, Dozy Doo and Popsicle and were tasked with writing their letters to Santa. We were all then invited into the lounge area to feast on plentiful mince pies, potent mulled wine, cranberry fizz and hot chocolate while the children wrote their letters. There was even a special letter box to post the letters to Santa.
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Hide AdThe MacDonald Aviemore Resort has four hotels within its large estate and we stayed in the four-star Highlands Hotel. Our family room was spacious, with a king-size bed and two single beds and plenty space for luggage and all the kids’ clutter. We even had fluffy dressing gowns and slippers, which were perfect for padding along the corridor to the swimming pool.
Within our welcome pack was a detailed itinerary for the weekend, which included times for all the keys events such as visiting Santa, meeting real reindeer, the panto, cinema and dinner times. There was also a timetable for the optional extras, including children’s elf workshops and ice skating. On top of these special events, there was also unlimited access to all the resort activities; swimming, soft play and the Spey Valley luxury shopping centre.
Once we were settled in and had changed into our Christmas jumpers, it was time for dinner, which was held in the vast Osprey Arena each evening. This wasn’t an ordinary large-scale dinner service but a whole, meticulously organised Christmas dining experience. The arena was spectacularly adorned with lavish decorations and lights and there was even a giant chimney breast for Santa to descend after dinner (much to the surprise and delight of all the children). One the first night, on the menu was an international street food buffet, with offerings including tasty British pies, ‘build your own’ dirty fries, a noodle bar and an array of tacos. There was a separate buffet for children with all the usual favourites. My children particularly loved the freshly-made pizza. For dessert there was the most amazing selection of treats including a towering Croquembouche, yule log slices plus a popcorn machine, elves making candy floss and a massive choice of sweeties (with paper bags for stashing some for later). My son Reuben had six helpings and gleefully filled a takeaway bag for a midnight feast. After dinner the elves hosted a disco and games for the children, at which point my children suffered a sugar crash and exhaustion from over-excitement and we all headed to bed.
After a great night’s sleep we had a delicious breakfast at our hotel (the sausages were particularly delightful) and headed to the pool for a swim. It was clean, warm and had a brilliant ‘not too scary’ flume and plenty of water toys for the children. Then it was time to visit Santa at his Highland grotto. Full of anticipation, we walked through a twinkly tunnel to a little house with a roaring fire where we were greeted by Popsicle the elf. Then Icy Elf came and collected us and took us to an exquisite grotto where, after teaching the children a secret knock, the door opened and we went in to meet Santa. Mr Claus knew all about Reuben and Sarah, their achievements and what they wanted for Christmas. After a little chat, he gave them each a lovely gift and posed for lots of photos.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to the pantomime and the MacDonald Aviemore Resort had it covered. Jack and the Beanstalk was the show and it hugely exceeded our expectations and we hooted and laughed at the relentless stream of quick-witted gags. There was something for everyone – we all joined in vociferously with the ‘it’s behind yous’ and ‘oh no it’s nots’. The baddie ‘Fleshcreep’ did an excellent job of winding up the kids and in return received endless ‘boos’ every time he appeared. Normally we spend a small fortune to go to a star-studded high-profile panto and this brilliantly-written production with a cast and crew of just seven left us with as much of a wow factor.
With happily aching sides and a warm fuzzy feeling we changed into our party gear and headed into the Osprey Arena for our dinner. This time it was a ‘Christmas Party’ theme, with a traditional festive roast with all the trimmings, complete with party hats and crackers. After the kids’ elf disco, we were treated to a Christmas concert performed by the talented panto cast, with glitzy costumes and impressive choreography. We sang along to all our favourite seasonal songs from the comfort of our dining table, with waiters on hand to deliver our drinks. While I carried the children to bed, my wife Sine sat in the quiet hotel bar with its cosy log fire and twinkling Christmas tree and enjoyed a grown-ups’ nightcap with other family members.
After another top-notch cooked breakfast, it was nearly time to check-out, but we could just squeeze in one last Christmas activity, namely meeting some real reindeer (including an adorable fawn) from the Cairgorms’ very own herd. A friendly herdswoman told us all about the reindeer and the children hand-fed them with lichen-clad sticks. This experience was the icing on the extremely Christmassy cake of our fabulous Santa Weekend which put us in the mood to race home and dig out our decorations and put up our own tree. It’s Christmaaaas!
'Santa Breaks' at Macdonald Aviemore Resort are available from £209 per night for a family of four.