Organisers of a Christmas Wonderland event have pledged to look into parents’ complaints after children were forced to wait two hours in the freezing cold.
Crathes Castle in Banchory held its annual Christmas event on Saturday and Sunday which included festive stalls, a chance to meet Santa and a reindeer parade.
But parents have hit out at the experience, which they branded a “complete disgrace” and a “shambles”.
Tracy Barron, from Ballater, took two of her sons Miles, 12, and Lloyd, 8, on Sunday.
She said: “We queued an hour-and-a-half to see Santa but we had to leave.
“We were frozen and my son started crying.”
Tracy, 41, added that food stalls ran out of food before 2pm and there were no kids sandwiches or hot chocolate left in the cafe.
Ewan Hamilton, 48, from Cults, attended with his wife Alison, 45, and children Ben, 3, Luke, 6, and Alice, 8.
He said he was “absolutely furious” to have spent £30 on the event.
He added: “It was a shambles. “There was nothing Christmassy about the entire set-up and looking around the grounds it looked no different from any other day at the castle.
“It was -2C and they had families queuing in sub zero temperatures for up to two hours to see Santa, who was surrounded by empty takeaway cups and mess.
“I’m demanding a full refund.”
Sharon Maxwell, from Aboyne, visited Crathes with her husband Colin and children Hannah, 5, and Michael, 7.
She said: “The parade with the reindeer and Santa was over half-an-hour late and to keep everyone waiting in the freezing cold was ridiculous to say the very least.
“The castle, where the few stalls were wasn’t even worth the huge queue of 50 minutes in the cold, scones sold out and rubber pancakes – hardly Christmas Yule tide! Complete disgrace.”
While a mum-of-two, who did not want to be named, said children were “upset” and parents “devastated” after promising a fun day to their children.
She added: “Walking around the ground all I kept hearing was complaints and families leaving to find ‘something better’ to do.”
A National Trust spokeswoman said: “Crathes Castle’s Christmas event was the busiest it has ever been and most of the feedback from visitors has been positive.
“There were some long queues and this is an issue that the team will be looking at for future events.
“As well as Santa and a reindeer parade, there were crafts, tours of the castle and a Christmas party to enjoy.”
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