Still in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh's self-styled Winter Wonderland offers a chance to leave behind the Playstation and rediscover the fun of the fair. The star attraction, gloriously dwarfing the Scott Monument, is a 35-metre Ferris wheel; other highlights include an old-time carousel and the hysterically bouncy Bungydome.

The wheel

Perhaps the most visible sign that the festive season's arrived in Edinburgh is the appearance of the Christmas Wheel. As high as eight buses and bejewelled with 20,000 lights, the Dutch-made Ferris wheel is a joyfully gaudy and ever-changing addition to Edinburgh's famous skyline.

But banish now any thought of a sedate trip in London-Eye-style pods - this is the real deal, where you're hoisted up in open baskets for a no-nonsense spin around the treetops. Cynics observe you can get the same view from the top floor of Jenners, but they're missing the point: only the wheel gives you the sense of space and freedom of the open air.

The top of the wheel's quite exposed and there's no nipping back down for your scarf, so bundle up warm before you get on board. A typical ride (£4 adults, £2.50 children - more over Hogmanay) consists of a few good spins, punctuated by pauses to let fellow customers get on board.

The fairground

In an exception to the fair's normal opening times, the Bungydome and some rides close at 8pm on Sundays to Wednesdays.

A handful of old-style fairground rides cluster round the path beneath the wheel. To the delight of traditionalists, the most popular always seems to be the carousel (£2.50 flat rate). It's at its homely best when lit up after dark, and as many adults as children take the nostalgic trip round and round and up and down on board the gilded horses.

Nearby there's a lighthouse-shaped giant helter-skelter (£2 flat rate), while higher-octane excitement's on offer aboard the flying carousel (£3 flat rate), which throws its squealing occupants outward on ropes as it twirls against the sky. For children seeking less extreme enjoyment, there's small fairground (rides £1.50 - £2.50) with a relatively gentle spinning machine - plus the most chilled-out ride in the whole of the Wonderland, a good old teacup waltzer.

Down in the bottom of the valley, the popular Bungydome (£6 flat rate; minimum height 80cm, maximum weight 100kg) is a great way to exhaust small children. Featuring both trampolines and giant elastic bands, it's bouncier than Tigger and Zebedee combined: even if you don't join in, it's fun to watch its harnessed occupants boinging around in mid-air.