Hundreds of UK attractions that have received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) are offering free entry, discounts and gifts to visitors who brandish a National Lottery scratchcard upon arrival.

The move, according to HLF, is a way of saying "thank you" this Christmas to lottery players in the UK, whose money has helped the organisation to hand out £7.9bn (US$10bn, €8.9bn) of funding to more than 43,000 heritage projects over the past 24 years.

In addition to the free offers from heritage institutions, a number of arts, sports and community venues – all recipients of National Lottery funding – will also be opening their doors for free.

There will be free entry to over 100 National Trust sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 5-7 December, while Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, HMS Caroline, Fleet Air Arm Museum and The National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool will all offer free entry between 3-9 December.

Elsewhere Skipton Woodland Trust in the Yorkshire Dales is holding a free tree giveaway, while Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage in the Lake District is offering free entry from 3-9 December and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre in Cheshire is doing the same.

London’s Natural History Museum's 'Life in the Dark' exhibition will be free for visitors between 3-9 December and Dorset Wildlife Trust is holding a free beginners’ bird watching walk during that period.

A fully interactive map of all participating institutions and their locations can be found here.