UK's hidden fairytale village with ski slopes for best chance of white Christmas

05 December 2023 , 17:11

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There's enough snowfall that you can even hit the slopes in the region (Image: Getty Images)

There are plenty of real-life winter wonderlands around the world, but the good news is that we Brits don't need to go far to find a fairytale village with snow-dusted houses and gorgeous mountain views.

That's because some of the world's best enchanting winter destinations have been revealed, and the top UK location is the charming village of Tomintoul in Scotland.

Located on the northern edge of the Cairngorms National Park - one of the UK's best places for seeing the Northern Lights - Tomintoul is the highest village in Scottish Highlands at 345 metres above sea level. It's idyllic for those wanting to escape the crowds thanks to its remote location amidst the rugged mountains, not to mention there are around 750 residents.

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Tomintoul is one of the best places in the UK for a chance of snowfall this winter (Getty Images)

According to the team at StressFreeCarRental, who were behind the rankings: "Tomintoul is the highest village in the Scottish highlands and is known for its abundance of sporting and outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding and beautiful walking trails. As well as spectacular landscapes and rugged mountains, it snows for an average of 61 days a year, so locals often enjoy a white Christmas."

For those who love to hit the slopes over winter, Tomintoul is just a short drive away from The Lecht Ski Centre where you'll find a host of runs whether you're a complete beginner or advanced. The ski centre only opens when there is enough snowfall in the region for the slopes to be enjoyable (understandably) so it hasn't yet opened this season, but you can find out more on lecht.co.uk.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Meanwhile, anyone who doesn't want to hit the slopes may be tempted with a trip to Tomintoul's Whisky Castle instead, which never fails to impress visitors. One happy holidaymaker wrote on Tripadvisor: "What a place! 1000 bottles in the room, we were told by the very helpful assistant. We were offered, and accepted, a tasting of two Tomintoul whiskies. Both lovely, would have been happy with either but chose a 12yr old. There’s a tearoom attached, but we left that for another time. Great place. Go there if whisky’s your thing."

If you are looking for a festive getaway, you may want to consider a trip to Surrey in England too, where one charming little village served as a filming location for Christmas hit The Holiday. It's not difficult to see why Shere caught the crew's attention considering it boasts chocolate box homes, quintessential pubs and glorious snow-dusted countryside around it. (In fact it's so pretty it's attracted many a Hollywood crowd, doubling up as a location for hits such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, as well as Bridget Jones).

If you are tempted to plan a last-minute Christmas break abroad, then you could end up staying at Santa's cabin itself - after all, his elves have opened it up for bookings on Airbnb! Oh and no you won't need to trek to the North Pole - but you will need to head to Lapland, Finland. The stays are completely free, but kids will be tasked with helping the elves at Santa's Official Post Office to help decide who makes it on the nice list.. and who makes it on the naughty list!