West Kilbride family dazzles street with 'magical' Christmas display in aid of charity

A North Ayrshire family have once again opened up their home to dazzle visitors with a magical Christmas display in aid of charity.

While many Scots started preparing for the festive season last month, one family in West Kilbride began the work months ago.

Cameron Clark, who owns Manor House, added that setting up the decorations takes around four to five weeks.

This year marks the ninth time the family home has hosted the event. STV News

Visitors can get the full experience of the house with hot chocolate, cookies, and the chance to roast marshmallows while taking in the dazzling displays.

This year marks the ninth time the family home has been transformed into a winter wonderland, but Mr Clark added the family’s love of all things festive began with his parents.

“It actually started in 1983 when my mum and dad had a first date at a Christmas shop. So I grew up surrounded by Christmas, and it’s just grown from then onwards,” he told STV News.

Mr Clark said the decorations get bigger every year, and he does them in memory of his late father.

“I hear him when I do certain things. I go oh, that looks good or that’s no, let’s do that again,” he said.

“I can hear him saying, OK, you can do better. So it’s kept in his memory and it will always be kept in his memory.”

The Bryce family said visiting the house during the festive period has become a tradition in the last few years.

Vicky Bryce said the house “lights up the street”, adding that her family have made a tradition of visiting the house with her daughter, Ruby, posting her letter to Santa there.

Lindsey Neilson, who attended the event with her son Connor and husband Matthew, said: “It’s absolutely amazing, it’s wonderful that they spend so much time and money putting it all up and invite people into their homes to see it.”

All the funds raised from the event are donated to a charity, with Mr Clark picking a different one every year.

Mr Clark explained that having a home like his feels like being in a Christmas movie, adding: “Some days when you’ve gone away for a few days and you come back and you drive along you go ‘we do actually live there. And how lucky we are to live here’.”

The family doesn’t just host Christmas experiences – they also go big at Halloween and Easter.

“We’re not sure who loves which one more, but they are really well attended. Everybody loves them and it’s a great way of getting the family together,” Mr Clark said.