SANTA’S checking his list, the elf is sitting comfortably on the shelf and there’s a distinct smell of roasting chestnuts in the air. Means only one thing - it must be nearly Christmas.

As the most wonderful time of the year snowballs towards us, VisitLanarkshire has revealed its top five events, guaranteed to get our readers in the festive spirit:

1. Christmas Carols

It will be anything but a silent night at Lanarkshire’s carol concerts in December.

Enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a three-course meal while listening to a choir sing all your festive favourites at New Lanark’s Carols by Candlelight. Tickets cost £25 per person with several performances held throughout December.

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Meanwhile, South Lanarkshire Choir will serve up music and mince pies at a concert at Low Parks on Thursday, December 6.

2. Meet Father Christmas

He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be on your best behaviour when Santa comes to Summerlee. Every weekend in December, Santa will be waiting in his grotto to hear all your Christmas wishes.

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Tickets cost £6.95 per child. Each child will receive a gift, plus a bag of reindeer dust to sprinkle outside their front door to make sure Rudolph finds his way on Christmas Eve.

3. New Lanark Christmas Experience

Enjoy a festive day out at one of Lanarkshire’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On various dates in December, New Lanark Mills will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with a festive pantomime, “Beauty and the Beastie”.

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New Lanark Mills will be transformed into a winter wonderland

Take a magical journey on The Spirit of Christmas ride where you’ll learn all about Christmas past and present, visit Santa in his grotto, and post your Christmas letter to the North Pole. Tickets start from £13.95.

4. Tea and cake with Santa Claus

Whether you’re in the mood for candy canes or mince pies, join Father Christmas for a spot of afternoon tea at Low Parks Museum on Saturday, December 15.

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5. Christmas Fair at the Farm

Say “Merry Christmas!” to all the farmyard animals at The National Museum of Rural Life at the annual Christmas Fair on Sunday, December 9.

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Get into the festive spirit by joining an elf for a tractor trip and meet the donkeys in a real nativity scene before settling down for a festive story on a hay bale.

Tickets start from £5.50.

For more information on other events happening in the area please visit visitlanarkshire.com.