Having struck lucky with the weather, we arrived at Bamburgh Castle to find its stretch of Northumberland coast bathed in sunshine which showed off the spectacular setting which makes a visit here a treat from the off.
It might have been a chilly November day but inside it was full-on Christmas, a festive frenzy even of sparkle, glitter, garlands and decorations. The castle's annual Christmas Kingdom visitor attraction has launched in style and its new theme, The Enchanted Myths and Legends of Northumbria, invites us to explore woodland scenes of dancing fairies and sea worlds of mermaids and selkies.
And those mythical creatures are everywhere, encircling trees, peeking from branches and emerging from fountains amid chiffons of watery blue as we follow a trail through a series of state rooms where award-winning theatrical designer Charlotte Lloyd Webber and her team - who created the last two Christmas Kingdom themes - have once again worked their magic.
Following arrows on the floor to ensure we don't take a wrong turning, which is easy to do among the labyrinth of rooms, we move on from the start, where a screen shows a welcome and introduction from castle owner Francis Watson-Armstrong who with wife Claire is the inspiration behind the annual immersive Christmas experience.
Even the scale model of the castle here has been given a sprinkling of snow to set the scene. There is much to learn about its heritage and the family history, from displays, artworks and documents on the walls you pass as you wind your way up stone steps and around corners.
A centrepoint is the striking King's Hall. Where a huge Christmas tree stood last year there are now two and they could hardly hold more decorations. The longer you look, the more you see - fairies of all shapes and sizes and masses of woodland creatures including, owls and hedgehogs. Even the baubles have tiny toadstools on them.
This giant space leads into the Cross Hall and it's here that a fountain rises up, silver strands and swathes of blue creating the look of cascading water. A local sculptor, Mandy Bryson, from Berwick, has created several key pieces including the mermaids and the half-seal selkies who appear here, while silver reindeers graze nearby.
There are more watery effects in the library/billiard room, which has proved my favourite setting of the last two Christmas Kingdoms. This time a mirror top for the central billiard table creates a lake for mermaid, encircled by a rocky, mossy shore. There's a beautiful garland over the fireplace and at the opposite end of the room the dining table - which in the past has been set in apparent readiness for an inviting Christmas meal - is now laid with a mini marvel: a grassed scene with a tiny table, surrounded with chairs, with its own place settings and fairy-size foods.
As we discover the next room, then the next, each offers a new surprise - intricate displays surrounded by the likes of pink and silver florals in one scene; glittery fir cones and fairy lights in another. I find another favourite lies inside The Faire Chamber room.
There are information boards along the route describing each location and this room was apparently where the ladies retired while the men played billiards during dinner parties hosted by the second Lord Armstrong in the early 1900s. So it's fitting that its new festive attractions include elaborate gowns and these are made from greenery: one including drapes of ivy; the other sparkling fronds.
Look out too for the giant Fairy Queen wearing a floral dress adorned with hollyhocks and silver leaves - not that you're likely to miss her. Through it all, myths and legends are woven, including those connected to the castle which has stood on the Northumberland coast for more than 1,400 years.
And if you want to know more about the history, the staff on hand - who are lovely - will tell you. You might well hear a ghost story or two.
The castle's tale of a Laidley Worm makes itself known in a 'finale' piece in the castle's Keep Hall which wraps up the trail. The Christmas Kingdom is beautiful throughout and such a festive treat that you'd have to be Scrooge not to feel Christmassy by the end.
It's also worth noting that it's also a warm and cosy experience. How a castle manages to be cosy, I don't know but it makes it tempting to linger even longer; the festive music that accompanies the trail adding to the feelgood atmosphere.
Christmas Kingdom is open from 10am-4pm until January 7, save for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. To book, see here.
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