Ho, ho, ho, Santa’s on the run
Don’t be surprised to see hundreds of Santa Claus lookalikes pounding the streets of Aberdeen this weekend, it just means the festive season is well and truly under way. There are plenty of opportunities to catch up with the man in the big red suit at a number of unusual locations, writes Susan Welsh
Published:
PITTODRIE, the home of Aberdeen FC, is often awash with a sea of red and white, but, this Sunday, the traditional colours will take on a festive hue as hundreds of people dressed as Santa Claus descend on the stadium.
Young and old, superfit and not-so-fit Santas will kick off the season of goodwill by taking part in the Aberdeen Santa Run, a six-kilometre fun run through the city.
The event has been organised by WildHearts, a Nairn-based charity dedicated to helping people living in poverty around the world.
The Aberdeen event is the first of two Santa runs WildHearts is organising, with the charity’s Highland event taking place the following week, Sunday, December 7, at the Queens Park Stadium, Inverness.
With only a limited number of places available for participants, event organiser Mick Jackson, founder of WildHearts, is urging people to sign up now.
Mick said: “On the back of the phenomenal success of our inaugural Inverness event last year, we are thrilled to be able to bring the Santa Run to the Granite City this festive season.
“It will be a fantastic, fun day out for all the family which will see us return to the true spirit of Christmas with money raised being used to give a helping hand to some of the world’s poorest people.”
In Aberdeen, the kind-hearted participants will begin by completing a lap of honour around the pitch before running, jogging or walking around the route, which will take them along Aberdeen beach front, cheered on by AFC’s mascot, Angus the Bull.
In Inverness, the participants will start at the Bught Park stadium before making their way along a riverside route which passes underneath the castle and through the Ness Islands.
Both events are open to adults and children. Entry fees are £15 for adults, which includes a Santa suit, medal and goodie bag and £10 for children, who get a special-edition event T-shirt, medal and goodie bag.
For more information on the Santa Runs, visit www.WildDayOut.com or call 01667 451 831.
BUT the beach front of Aberdeen and banks of the River Ness are not the only places you can see the man in the big red suit in the run-up to Christmas Day.
As well as popping up in garden centres, shopping malls and supermarkets, he will be visiting some other rather interesting venues. These include:
The Strathspey Steam Railway will run special trains and Santa and his helpers will hop on board on December 13, 14, 20, 21 and Christmas Eve.
Families can experience the magic of Christmas on a beautiful train which snakes its way through spectacular Highland scenery. Round trips from Aviemore to Boat of Garten depart from Aviemore station at 11am and 2pm. There are various price options, depending on which class of carriage is chosen and whether refreshments and a gift from Santa are required. For further details, call the Aviemore Booking Office on 01479 810 725.
Across at Deeside, the Alford Valley Railway will run Santa Special trains on the first two weekends in December – December 5-7 and 12-14.
The service includes a trip on the decorated train down to Haughton Park, with lots of carol singers on board, so there is plenty of opportunity for boys and girls and mums and dads to join in the singing.
The trip takes around half an hour and on returning to the station visitors will find Santa has arrived and taken up residence in a grotto where they can visit him and receive a gift.
The trip, priced £4, includes refreshments and a gift from Santa. For further information, call 07879 293934
One of the more unusual places to see Santa Claus is at Macduff Marine Aquarium where, on Saturday, December 20, and Sunday, December 21, he will switch his attention from reindeer to fish and invertebrates.
Diving in the aquarium’s kelp reef exhibit takes place three times a week throughout the year. Visitors can watch divers hand-feed the fish while guides give a talk about the marine life in the aquarium’s main theatre and visitors watch from the main window.
Santa Claus will take the diver’s role this weekend, but whether or not he will have time to clean the windows of any algae that grows on them and clean up the tank, which the regular divers do from time to time, is another matter.
The aquarium is open from 10am-5pm with the Santa dive session taking place at 2pm both days. Visitors pay the regular admission price of £5.40 for adults and £2.70 for children.
For further information call 01261 833369.
Santa would not be able to deliver his presents on time if he didn’t have a crack squad of reindeer to help him make his way around the world.
At the Reindeer Centre, Glenmore – close to Aviemore, families can see Santa Claus and pet his tame, friendly reindeer.
Every weekend in December (bar the 27/28th) he will be in residence at the reindeer paddocks which he fills with interesting information about reindeer culture around the world. He also organises a host of craft activities for visitors to try while they wait to see him.
A ticket to the paddocks costs £2.50 for adults and £3 for children.
The centre also offers daily guided hill visits with an experienced reindeer herder who takes visitors on to the mountain side where the main herd lives all year round.
A scenic hill walk followed by an opportunity to hand-feed the gentle, friendly herd costs £9 for adults and £4.50 for children.
A hill pass also includes entry to the paddocks and a fun pack for children, who will find Santa still waiting for them in the paddocks after their healthy walk.
For further information, call 01479 861228.
Several National Trust for Scotland properties have arranged for visits from Santa, and at some he’s bringing along a few of his four-legged friends.
On December 6/7, from 1-4pm, he’s at Leith Hall, near Huntly, where Christmas will be celebrated in style with a grotto, festive activities, crafts and a quiz. Call 0844 493 2175 for further details.
The same weekend he’s at Crathes Castle, near Banchory, where Sir Alexander Balbridie and his “off-centre” family invite you to a Victorian Christmas Houseparty.
Holly, mistletoe and roast chestnuts will be on sale and don’t miss a visit to Santa’s Grotto, where Porridge the Donkey will be keeping him company from 12.30-2.30pm on Saturday afternoon. Tel: 0844 493 2166 for details
The House of Dun, near Montrose, is where he’ll be with his helpers on December 6/7. They will collect children’s letters in time for Christmas. The children can write them on the day on special “magic” paper to ensure their delivery.
Once they have visited Santa and received a pre-Christmas present, they can then follow the fairy trail to Auntie Sheila’s craft workshop, where they have an opportunity to make a selection of gifts from Christmas cards to ceramic snowmen.
The trust shop will be offering a range of Christmas gifts and, for the first time this year, locally grown produce to buy in preparation for your Christmas meal. For further details, call 0844 493 2144.
For a real touch of Christmas magic, head to Castle Fraser, near Inverurie, on the weekend of December 13/14 between 11am and 4pm. Santa will be in his grotto, children can play games in the decorated castle, and best of all visit a full-size manger and see the three wise men arriving on real camels. For further details, call 0844 493 2164.
Readers' Comments