ALMOST £6,000 was raised for charity at a Santa’s Grotto in Forth Valley last year.

Families from across Stirling and Forth Valley flocked to Thistles shopping centre between November and December to visit Santa in his magical Grotto, with 1,605 people attending.

The first time the seasonal event has been held in honour of a local charity, visitors to the Grotto raised a total of £5,853.50 for Strathcarron Hospice.

This year proved more popular than ever, with additional time slots created to accommodate demand from families across Stirling, Forth Valley and further afield.

The Grotto offered families an elevated festive experience with a winter wonderland tunnel, the opportunity to write a letter to Santa with the help of some of his elves and then a visit with the man himself, complete with a Christmas gift.

Gary Turnbull, centre director at Thistles, said: “We are thrilled at the response from the public to our Santa’s Grotto and that together we have raised such a fantastic amount of money for Strathcarron Hospice.

“The event proved to be so popular that we had to add additional dates which meant that we were able to raise as much money as possible for charity.”

Claire Kennedy, community fundraiser at Strathcarron Hospice, added: “We were delighted to be the beneficiary charity of the Thistles Santa's Grotto this year.

“It was a magical experience for all the children and families who visited the Grotto and every penny raised through ticket sales and purchases on the day have gone direct to patient care both in the Hospice and in people's own homes.

“We need to raise £14,315 every day to keep our services running and thanks to the local community and partnerships like this one, we can continue to provide specialist palliative care to people who need us at the end of life.”