Hillsborough Castle brought the festive feeling to light

August 7, 2023

The festive spirit was truly felt throughout the light trail located at Hillsborough Castle Gardens.

From the moment you enter until the moment you leave, you are transported into a world of magic. The dark night was illuminated by several different beautiful artistic light installations.

The very first showpiece was the eye catcher. Loads of golden lights creating a huge archway, perfect for a photo opportunity. The long walk through it, backed with piano instrumentals of Christmas songs immediately gets you in the mood.

After being led down a different path, you are thrust into a mind-altering illumination that will tingle all different senses. A fog machine begins and through it there are projected green orbs, making you feel like you are walking through a magical portal to another world.

Not one bit of the trail is silent. You can continuously hear all of the classic christmas songs played as soothing instrumentals on speakers. All around there were children skipping down the trail enthusiastically, bringing the words to life, with their parents smiling walking behind photographing the moment.

One illumination shows multiple trees lighting up, dancing in beat to music. When the music gets tense, the lights represent this. Truly feeling like you are watching a show. Crowds watch in awe, some even clapping at the end.

The trail then takes you by some huge colourful christmas baubles on either side of the path, creating the feeling that you are a part of the winter wonderland. This is when it truly feels like a Disney movie. The draping tree holds many lantern lights, making it feel like you have just stepped into a scene from Tangled. The soft music in the background begins to have an extra chime, creating a sense of pure happiness.

After this, there is a tunnel path made from multiple huge red hearts, ensuring you feel the love in the air. Here is where you begin to smell the many different festive food. Arriving at the stalls, there is a range to choose from. You can treat yourself to some cold drinks, or if you want to continue the festive feeling, you can opt for a sensational hot chocolate. This is when there is also an opportunity to roast marshmallows, another fun festive activity that is sure to make you smile. Santa Clause himself is there to take a photo and wish you a Merry Christmas.