Visitors will be ‘Walking in the Air’ at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens this festive season

Making its debut in Northern Ireland, families and visitors will be able to discover 12 decorated Snowman sculptures throughout the 100-acre gardens, in a partnership with Wild in Art and Penguin Random House Children’s.

Hillsborough Castle and Gardens will host the festive daytime trail from Saturday November 18, encouraging visitors to find the individually painted sculptures - designed by various artists and inspired by the carol, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’.

Stuart Campbell, Public Engagement Manager at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens commented; “Christmas at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens is always the most wonderful time of the year.

"The State Rooms are decorated for the season, while our Gardens always provide a magical experience, and this year we are thrilled to present the Walking with The Snowman™ trail.

"Wild in Art has selected Hillsborough Castle and Gardens to debut their hugely popular experience in Northern Ireland, and our team has worked hard to create the perfect complementary activities and bring a real festive feeling throughout the trail.”

Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder at Wild in Art, said, “We're really excited to be continuing our ongoing partnership with Penguin Random House Children by bringing our ‘Walking with The Snowman’ trail to Northern Ireland for the first time.

“Visitors to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens will discover the magic of the trail and see how the artists have brought Raymond Briggs’ iconic character to life.”

In addition to finding each of the 12 The Snowman™ sculptures, visitors can enjoy a hot chocolate or cider from the Castle’s on-site restaurant to keep warm during their adventures.

Throughout select dates in December, visitors can also choose to attend a special screening of the Oscar winning, animated heartwarming story, The Snowman™, subject to availability.

Walking with The Snowman™ at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens runs Wednesday – Sunday from 10am – 4pm and is included in a standard Gardens ticket, which also includes screenings of The Snowman™.