Celebrate the season like celebs

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5 NOVEMBER 2004
As Christmas looms on the horizon, celebs such as Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffiths, Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be looking forward to celebrating the holiday season in their snowy mountain retreats.

Others will be heading for exotic destinations in the sun. Those who fancy emulating them, but don't have access to their own place on the piste or sun-drenched hideaway, can take advantage of the wide range of Christmas and New Year breaks available these days. Here’s our round-up of festive fun – from Santa spotting in the snow to soaking up the rays in warmer climes.

Hogmanay in a castle
Enjoy a traditional Hogmanay in a 16th-century Scottish castle – complete with Highland piper, haggis, roaring log fires and even a Scottish ceilidh if you feel like tripping the light fantastic. Full Highland kit can be hired for the evening. Enjoy all of this and more in the sumptuous Myres Castle in Auchtermuchty, Fife, which can sleep up to 18 New Year revellers in its nine en suite bedrooms. Mary Queen of Scots reputedly slept in the Queen’s Room during a visit; other bedrooms sport four-posters, Victorian clawfoot baths and state-of-the-art music systems.

Meals are cooked by award-winning chef Christopher Trotter, and outdoor activities include tennis, croquet and badminton. However, if the weather is grouchy they’ll arrange ghostly fireside talks or whisky tasting. For members of the party with itchy feet, St Andrews, Perth and Edinburgh are within easy reach.

Santa in Lapland
Why not give your children an unforgettable treat this Christmas? Take them to visit Santa in Lapland, meet real-live reindeer Rudolph, Dancer and Prancer, cuddle baby huskies and glide through snow that’s deep and crisp and even on a sleigh ride. That’s exactly what David and Victoria Beckham did last year with Brooklyn and Romeo on a winter break to Harriniva, deep in the beautiful hills and forests of western Lapland.

The wooden, chalet-style family-run Harriniva Hotel is also home to the largest group of huskies in the country, and experts will teach you the skills of handling them. There’s also tobogganing, saunas and fun in the snow – and, if you’re there on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there’ll be a carol service, traditional dinner, a family snowmobile safari and a special visit by Santa bearing gifts for all.