A couple of weeks ago, I had a quick stop over at Edinburgh with my parents on a whirlwind trip to Scotland. We stayed in Edinburgh for one night and had just under twenty-four hours in the city. This was my third visit to Scotland, and I've only ever been to Scotland in November and December instead of the summer months. This is my second visit to Scotland during the Christmas season. My first visit during the Christmas season was for a couple of days, and it bucketed it down with rain; as a result, I didn't get to see much as the weather was that nasty. On this visit, I was blessed with nice but cold weather. There was a little bit of rain and full cloud, but the rain did not last long. This article is for those who are looking for Christmas in Edinburgh.
The National Archives of Scotland building is located in the New Town area of the city, and it has a beautiful light projection onto the facade with an advent calendar countdown with the different eras in Edinburgh. The colours light up and change and display a video and audio tour.
The Christmas Market is also located in the New Town area of the city, and there are a couple of ice rinks. One is located at the top of Prices Street, and there is at least one more on George Street with a smaller Christmas market and ice sculptures. The main Christmas Market itself is located off Prices Street in the Prices Street Gardens, which is in a valley. The market is larger this year than in my previous visit, and there are fair rides, several places to eat and drink, and several wooden cabins selling gifts and other items. Many of these gifts were replicas of what I saw in London's Christmas Markets (Hyde Park Winter Wonderland).
New Town also had buildings decorated beautifully.
During the day, the Christmas Markets and fairground rides could be seen next to Scott Monument.
I also had a walk along the Royal Mile, which is located in the old part of town. The church below is St. Giles Cathedral.
In front of St. Giles Cathedral is the Heart of Midlothian. This marked a prison entrance, and it is a custom to spit onto the heart if passing by.
Tron Kirk is another church/cathedral on the Royal Mile.
The Royal Mile is also known for its several alleyways that branch off of it. These led to closes and rows of houses. The closes are named after famous residents or what the street was known for (such as selling fish). Many of them are so small and narrow that they can be easily walked by and missed! There is one close that you can explore on a tour, and I will be posting about this at another time.
Have you ever visited Edinburgh during the Christmas season? My favourite tours in Edinburgh are to walk to the castle from the Royal Mile, tour King Mary's Close, visit the royal yacht Britannia (outside the centre of Edinburgh), and see the spot where the loyal dog Bobby lay. I'll be covering these activities in later posts in the coming days and weeks, so keep checking back. Let me also know what you recommend in Edinburgh.
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