You may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but Santa doesn't always deliver. Perhaps you've spent present money on some brand new spiky things, and you really can't wait for the more reliable conditions of mid season to get them blunt. There are ways to maximse the chances of finding snow over the festive period, and if you can't stretch to a ticket to Lapland the best advice is obviously to follow the forecast, and head high. Even in a warm spell however, some hills tend to attract and hold onto the snow more readily than others, so here's our pick of the peaks for when times are lean:

Cairn Gorm

There's a reason they built a ski centre here, and when it comes to winter conditions Scotland's sixth highest Munro is one of the least likely to disappoint, with an altitude and inland position that keep it reliably chilly throughout the winter. With daylight at a premium a high start from the ski car park provides a useful leg-up to the day. Families simply in search of something to sledge on may get no further, but for hillwalkers the classic round of Cairn Gorm, Stob Coire an t-Sneachda and Cairn Lochan offers an accessible but inspiring slice of high Cairngorm magic, following the rim of the vast plateau around the edges of the mountain's impressive northern corries. From snow fields and cornices to ptarmigan and even reindeer (!), it's about as arctic as Scotland gets.

Helvellyn

Those seeking Lakeland snow need look no further; this is the top spot. It's England's third highest mountain, and teated as a single range running from the rolling Dodds in the north to the bookend summit of Dollywagon Pike in the south, it represents the most extensive area of high ground in the Lake District. But perhaps of equal influence on Helvellyn's wintry tendencies are its relatively landlocked position, and its series of high east-facing coves that gather snow carried on prevailing westerlies. In winter conditions the classic round of Striding and Swirral Edge nudges into mountaineering ground (see the route card here), and is best left to teams with the relevant skills and gear; routes on the western side however remain viable throughout the year. Perhaps best of all, from a snow seeker's point of view, daily felltop ground conditions reports are made from Helvellyn throughout the winter season - see Lake District Weatherline.     

Pen y Fan and the central Brecon Beacons

It may not reach 3000-foot level, and the notion of reliable snow here is clearly relative, yet the highest mountain in southern Britain is a big old beast nonetheless, and far enough inland to escape the warming extremes of the Gulf Stream. If North Wales, Cumbria or Highland Scotland seem a drive too far - this is Christmas after all, and you're really supposed to be on the sofa anyway - then the Brecon Beacons serve as a worthy winter alternative. Southerners may not be spoilt for choice, but on a cold clear day the traverse over the central Beacons peaks of Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Cribyn and Fan y Big is the real deal!

Creise and Meall a' Bhuiridh

As with Cairn Gorm, the presence of ski infrastructure on No match for crag id:"Meall a' Bhuiridh" is a good indication of frequent snow cover, both here and on neighbouring Creise. With a high level webcam at Glencoe Mountain, you can even check out ground conditions before leaving home (see here). They may not quite be the highest peaks in the Glen Coe area - Bidean nam Bian takes top spot - but 1100m is no height to sneeze at, and being further inland does help protect them from west coast thaws. With easy access via the ski centre, and fairly gentle terrain, Meall a' Bhuiridh is the better of the two for beginners, and an ascent via the broad north spur even takes you out of sight of the ski clutter. The continuation ridge to Creise has more of a mountaineering flavour - but only a hint. If the snow line in the Coe is vanishing up the slopes, make these biggies your plan A.

North Pennines

If you want Cumbrian cold, go east. A huge expanse of peat bog and moorland, this is England's answer to the Cairngorms, and in the depths of winter the main ridge of the North Pennines overlooking the Eden Valley really feels the part. Three peaks here breach 800 metres above sea level, topping out at Cross Fell, not far short of Munro level and the highest point in England outside the Lake District. You're far from the sea here too, so snow - and plenty of it - is far from unusual. For a reliably wintry quick-ish fix just do Cross Fell itself (route card here); if you're after a much bigger expedition, rope in Little Dun Fell and Great Dun Fell too.

Snowdon

There's a clue in the name: Snowdon is a big hill, seriously big by local standards, and if any North Wales peak is going to get snowed on then the country's highest is likely to be it. With a grand total of six named trails to the summit, coming from all points of the compass, you're never stuck for variety here, from the busy and straightforward to the quietly spectacular. Add the ridge-crest winter grade I mountaineering thrills of the Snowdon Horseshoe (route card) into the mix and this is a mountain with something for everyone. However in winter the weather and ground conditions up on Snowdon are often underestimated, and with icy snow to contend with even the easiest routes such as the Pyg Track and Llanberis Path have their accident black spots. Go prepared! For loads more Snowdon info see our Mini Guide.