'I visited Cambridge Botanic Lights trail and it helped me beat my winter blues'

Like many people, the arrival of winter brings a significant dip in my mood. As many as five per cent of people in the UK are diagnosed with a type of seasonal depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (appropriately shortened to SAD) and, while I'm not one of them, I find it much harder to be cheerful during the winter months.

I can handle the cold – all you need to do is stick on a few more layers and cook hearty meals like soups, stews, and roasts. But knowing that long months of waking in the dark and finishing work in the dark stretch out ahead of me is much harder to deal with.

It might sound cheesy, but I believe that reframing your attitude to things you can't change is the best way of coping with them. I can't tilt the world's axis to make the days longer, but I can find things to be positive about.

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So when I was invited to review the Botanic Lights trail at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, I jumped at the chance. Similar trails wouldn't be possible in the summer, since you need the contrast of the velvety darkness of winter evenings to make the lights really stand out.

After finding a parking space nearby on Trumpington Road, I entered the Garden with anticipation sparked by the hint of lights visible from outside the Garden. Visitors are welcomed at the entrance by a green-lit outline of the Garden's leaf logo on the floor, which sets the tone for the rest of the trail's celebration of the space.

As I wandered around the mile-long trail, in awe by the beautiful displays, what struck me was that the display wasn't specifically Christmassy. Compared to my experience at last year's light trail at Wimpole Hall, which had a strong Christmas theme, the Garden's trail felt less focused on Christmas.

That's no bad thing, as I sometimes find that all my festive goodwill has been used up by the time December 25 rolls around. Instead, I appreciated how the trail celebrated the Garden itself, with displays designed around the plants and trees as well as the buildings.

I loved that much of the trail wasn't all-singing and all-sparkling, with an overwhelming assault on the senses. Instead, I felt that the displays were thoughtfully arranged to highlight the natural beauty of the trees and plants.

A stand-out moment was the 'Guiding Light' display, which told the story of the relationship between Charles Darwin and John Stevens Henslow, the founder of the Garden. The projection worked beautifully on the building, drawing in other visitors who stood and listened.

There are two chances to get food or drink to warm up on the trail, with the Garden's café open and a pop-up further along. I had a luxurious hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows (£4), as well as a 'Black Forest' waffle with cherry compote, dark chocolate shavings, and whipped cream (£7).

Both were rich and indulgent, adding to the sense of cosiness and comfort created by the lights. My one complaint is that both cafés had quite long queues – but that's because everyone was keen to have a warming drink and snack to stave off the winter night's chill, so can't really be helped.

My two favourite parts of the trail were at the start and at the end. Near the start, the floating lilies are mesmerising, with the stillness of the water creating a perfect reflection – it feels almost otherworldly.

And at the end, a fairy trail creates a sense of magic, with fairy projections playing hide-and-seek among the trees while their fairy homes are lit up on the forest floor. I can imagine this being a favourite for children, trying to spot the fairies.

After a lovely 90 minutes enjoying all the trail had to offer, I left feeling as though I had beaten my winter blues.

The Botanic Lights trail runs from Thursdays to Sundays from November 29 to December 21. You can find out more about the trail here.