Santa’s Grotto at  Hillmount garden centre in Belfast has been voted the area’s favourite by readers of the Belfast Live website.

Nominated by fans of the grotto and then shortlisted into the top five of Santa's Grottos within a 10-mile radius of Belfast, including Titanic Belfast and Castle Court, the public vote opened for a week from 9 December before closing on Thursday. Hillmount polled almost 30% of the votes cast.

Robin Mercer, owner of Hillmount, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be named as Santa's Favourite Belfast Grotto. I would like to thank Belfast Live readers for showing that Belfast Loves our Santa experience at Hillmount as every one of their votes is a vote of confidence in those who work tirelessly to bring the grotto to life every day in the run up to Christmas. It's testament to the dedication and commitment of our team of elves and our Santas who ensure that every child who visits with their parents and grandparents make magical memories, whether they're visiting for the first time or the tenth time." 

The grotto at Hillmount has been sharing the spirit of Christmas with families throughout the festive season for more than 30 years and is open until Monday 23 December, with no advance booking required.

Santa is scheduled to greet dogs at Hillmount on 24 December between 10am and 4pm.