Christmas is now (almost) upon us. After the excitement of the big day is out of the way there can often be a bit of a lull before everyone heads back to work, but it needn’t when there are so many great events going on. Here is our pick of the best activities to keep you busy.

1. Go Outdoor Ice Skating

St Andrew Square, Edinburgh

£12.50 for adults and £8 for children

Open every day until 5th January (closed Christmas Day)

0131 510 0395

www.edinburghschristmas.com

Whether you’re a modern-day Torvill and Dean or more like Bambi on ice, outdoor skating is undeniably magical at this time of year. The Edinburgh rink follows a circular route around St Andrew Square, and the buzz in the air should help you overcome any embarrassment about wobbling round the ice. And, when you finish, you can warm up with a glass of mulled wine at the bar.

2. Walk with reindeers at Cairngorm Reindeer Centre

Reindeer House, Aviemore, Inverness-shire

Hill Trip is £15 for adults and £9 for children, Paddocks & Exhibition is £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children

Trips depart daily at 11am

01479 861228

www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk

There are few things more Christmassy than reindeer, and there are few better ways to visit them than in their natural habitat. The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre lets you do exactly that, following a reindeer herder up to the mountain and then walking with and feeding the animals as they wander. The spectacular views of the Cairngorm Mountains provide the pièce de résistance and ensures it is a quite magical experience.

3. Watch It’s A Wonderful Life

Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow

On until 24th December, various screenings

Tickets between £6-£11 depending on time

www.glasgowfilm.org

You might have seen it dozens of times before, but there are few films that sum up Christmas better than It’s A Wonderful Life. The 1946 tale of love, loss and family is the perfect film to remind you what Christmas is all about, while enjoying the pure nostalgia that is 1940s cinema. Glasgow’s GFT has the film on several times a day until Christmas, and it is also showing at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh and the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen.

4. Go for a wintry walk

Cardrona Forest, Tweed Valley Forest Park, Scottish Borders

Around the festive period it is all too easy to sit around in your pyjamas eating and drinking to excess. While that is undeniably enjoyable, if you manage to haul yourself outside for a crisp winter walk then you will feel surprisingly good (not to mention smug). Cardrona Forest has some particularly picturesque routes, with the Kirkburn Trail offering great views across the Tweed and the Wallace Trail taking you past the remains of the 16th century Cardrona Tower.

5. Drink mulled wine

Jagerhaus, Civic Square, Union Square Shopping Centre, Guild Street, Aberdeen

Open every day 11am-10pm

01224 254300

Originating from Germany, Glühwein (or mulled wine) is one of the best ways to warm up after being out in the bracing Scottish cold. It tastes great too, with a mix of red wine, spices and sugar creating a drink that is somewhere between a dessert and an alcoholic beverage. You can get mulled wine at most Christmas markets and festive events across the country, but the one on offer in Aberdeen is particularly good – served in a traditional outdoor bar with a cosy shelter to enjoy it in.

6. Watch a Carol service

Carols from King’s, BBC Two

24th December at 5.50pm and 25th December at 11am

There is always something quite stirring about listening to a Christmas carol concert and reflecting on the origins of the season. If you can’t make it to a concert in person, BBC Two is showing carols from the world-famous Chapel of King's College in Cambridge. On the BBC iPlayer there is also the chance to watch 100 Years of King's Carols, a documentary that follows the choir throughout 2018 as they celebrate the centenary year of Carols from King's.

7. Volunteer at a homeless shelter

Crisis at Christmas, Southside Community Centre, 117 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh

Volunteer shifts available on 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29th December and 1st and 2nd January

0131 209 7730

www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/christmas-volunteering-edinburgh

For some, the reality of Christmas is being cold and hungry while everyone else is celebrating with their families. To try and spread some goodwill, volunteering at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen is a great way to use your time off to really make a difference to those in need. Crisis in Edinburgh needs volunteers for a range of positions as part of their Crisis at Christmas event, aiming to help the vulnerable between Christmas and New Year. You can apply online for a range of volunteering positions that include hairdressing, befriending, kitchen assistants and general helpers.

8. Christmas at the Botanics Light Show

Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh

On 22nd-24th and 26th-29th December from 4.40pm

£14 for adults, £8 for children

0844 9951363

www.rbge.org.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-the-botanics

Walking around a cold park in the dark might not sound like fun, but the light show at Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens is quite a spectacular sight. Highlights include the 70m-long Cathedral of Light, the mesmerising Fire Garden and the Feast of Light – where you can walk among a string of lights dangling down from high above. The show’s finale is on the lawn of Innerleithen House, where colourful images dance on to the front of the grand building in time with Christmas music.

9. Last-minute Christmas shopping

Braehead Shopping Centre, Kings Inch Road, Renfrew, Glasgow

Open 22nd and 23rd December, 9am- midnight and 24th December, 9am-5pm

0141 885 1441

www.intu.co.uk/braehead

Love it or loathe it, Christmas shopping is something most of us can’t get out of. If you have been avoiding it and now find it is left to the last minute, then Braehead should have you covered, with a fair few of its 100+ shops open until midnight. And, if you want to pick up some bargains in the Boxing Day sales, it opens at 9am on the 26th and offers impressive sales in shops like M&S, Next and Hotel Chocolat.

10. See a pantomime

Cinderella at the SEC Armadillo, Exhibition Way, Glasgow

On 22nd- 24th December and 26th-30th December, various times

Ticket prices vary depending on seats

0844 395 4000

www.sec.co.uk/events/detail/cinderella

Oh yes I have! Some might baulk at the suggestion of going to a cheesy pantomime, but their quality has come on markedly in recent years. Glasgow’s SEC panto features the return of the national institution that is the Krankies, who have plenty of jokes to keep both children and adults amused. Cinderella also stars Gavin Mitchell – better known as Still Game’s Boabby The Barman – as one of the Ugly Sisters, alongside Jonathan Watson from Only an Excuse. Even if it isn’t entirely your cup of tea, bringing along your granny is sure to win you some brownie points.

11. Explore Christmas markets

East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

Open every day until 5th January (except Christmas Day)

http://www.edinburghschristmas.com

If you can’t make the trip to Germany itself then visiting Edinburgh’s German markets is probably the next best thing. You can sample some currywurst or crepes, pick up unusual presents and enjoy a warming drink. There is also a helter skelter, big wheel and a dizzying chairoplane ride that dangles you up to 60 metres in the air while the city centre spins below. It is a real thrill (provided you don’t throw up).

12. Go see the Snowman live at the Royal Concert Hall

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow

22nd December at 2pm and 6pm

Tickets from £19

01413538000

The evocative sound of Walking in the Air is undeniably intertwined with Christmas, and seeing it in full technicolour is a sure-fire way to create some festive spirit. Glasgow’s Concert Hall is showing the film on its huge screen, accompanied live by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the narration of presenter Jamie MacDougall.