‘I felt like a kid again!’ – Rolling back the years on Inverness-Lapland Christmas adventure

I remember returning to school after the Christmas holidays absolutely frantic to tell my classmates about the treasures Santa had left me under the tree.

But then one of my friends announced that they had met THE Santa Claus in Lapland. My spirit crumpled; I was seething with envy. The flicker of light I’d seen after staring out of my window for hours trying to spot the big man seemed pathetic in comparison.

Santa.

I knew that by having a mother with an intense phobia of flying, Lapland was an impossibility, so I resigned myself from my dream of meeting Santa.

Until now….

At the beginning of November I received news that a member of staff was going to experience Murray Travel’s day trip to Lapland from Inverness Airport, and with sheer luck, that person was me.

I prepared myself for the 5am check-in at Inverness Airport.

Waking up at 4am I felt like a kid at Christmas again, although admittedly, a far older, more lethargic version.

At the airport I was warmly greeted by Scott Murray and his team. Check-in was smooth and I was able to enjoy a complimentary cookie and festive hot chocolate. Just what I needed in preparation for the sub-zero temperatures.

Soon enough, children in high spirits and festive onesies started appearing with their families. I would have been stunned had they boarded the other flight to Gatwick.

There were some 200 people aboard the plane and the festive energy was palpable. The flight was kept entertaining with Scott on the tannoy leading the Christmas quizzes, colouring-in for the kids and chocolate muffins.

I thought my Christmas knowledge was pretty decent but got absolutely schooled by a young girl sitting in the row in front.

For me, the highlight of the flight was the views coming into Finland. The ground was layered with tresses of snow and adorned with tiny pine trees which began the familiar stirring of a Christmassy feeling I’ve not had since childhood.

Reindeer ready to go!

Scott explained our busy itinerary on the plane and informed us which groups we would be in. I was allocated the group ‘Donner A’ with tour guide Krista.

Landing on the snowy runway in Rovaniemi was a thrill and when I stepped off the plane, the cold air wasted no time in hitting the back of my lungs. It was -8 degrees but was -20 for the people who had travelled from Inverness 24 hours earlier!

From here, it was a short bus journey to Santa Claus Village.

The first activity on Donner A’s itinerary was meeting Santa…

Inside his grotto, squealing children queued to have their special moment.

Jodie Mackay in Lapland.

He graciously welcomed every child before posing with them for a photo and gifting them a cute festive trinket. It was rather moving to see the smiles on the children’s faces.

I calmly lingered on the outskirts waiting for the children to have their turn before I jumped in.

I felt like I was around 20 years late but Santa was as kind to me as he was to the children. Have I been good this year? 90 per cent of the time, yes. But Santa did not seem to be the judgemental sort.

We posed for a photo (I was not on his knee) but being surrounded by children I felt more like Will Ferrell in Elf.

The photo was 40 euros, which was not very festive or magical so I opted out. However, the experience remained special without the photograph.

Next up, Krista led us through Santa Claus Village for the reindeer sleigh ride. We had a very short wait in line and soon enough I was snuggled under a blanket with Rudolph guiding me through the snow.

Directions for the big man.

The reindeer were wonderful, such gentle creatures and tastefully kitted out with festive bells. It was truly a serene experience; I felt like a snow queen as we glided past pine trees.

At this point we were given two hours of free time to explore the village. I was grateful for the opportunity to take in the scope of what was around me.

There were plenty of shops, and I went a bit overboard in the official ‘Moomin’ store, but my family were very pleased with their souvenirs.

I also treated myself to a ‘Snowman Hot Chocolate’ which was truly a warming delight in the perishing conditions outside.

We then rejoined our groups for a buffet lunch which had a surprisingly pleasing selection of salmon, chicken, salad and other welcomed surprises.

Being the adventurer that I am, I went for chicken goujons and chips.

Around 200 people went on the trip.

We then moved onto Snowman World which was without a doubt my favourite part of the whole trip.

Imagine ice sculptures, an Ice Bar, and snow slides framed under the beauty of the Northern Lights!

Despite being from a coastal town originally, I have never before seen the Aurora Borealis, a misfortune that has tormented me for many years. However, I can say that all that bitterness has faded since I got to experience Lapland lit up in green.

Amidst the wonder I queued for 20 minutes to go down the ‘Large Snow Slide’ in a rubber ring and actually ended up losing my group. But I had committed at this point and had to see it through to the end.

As I whizzed down the slide it was absolutely worth it, I felt like a kid again! However, my back soon reminded me to remember my limits.

After finding my group, I ventured through the Snow Labyrinth and got my groove on with a snowman at the Ice Bar. Unfortunately, I did not sample any of their tantalising ice shots but I can vouch that they looked a treat.

It was then time to return to the airport for our journey home.

On the flight home every child received a certificate saying they’d met Santa and a confirmation that they were on the nice list – which I thought was a lovely touch.

Everyone was sleepy after a busy day and it was a tranquil flight. I’m sure the children were dreaming of fairy lights and reindeer sleighs.

Overall, it was an experience I will never forget. Though the day trip was tiring, there was a good balance of activities to keep the Christmas momentum going without it becoming overwhelming.

Lapland was truly magical, and I look forward to seeing what other trips Scott and his team at Murray Travel come up with next!

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