‘I defy you not to have a good time’
If a festive escape in Europe is out of reach, choose Edinburgh’s Christmas market, says Sally Coffey
If your European Christmas market plans have been thrown into disarray, then you might want to consider a trip closer to home – and Edinburgh has all the ingredients for a brilliant festive getaway.
With a Christmas market twinkling beneath the illuminated historic castle, an ice rink, a brand-new immersive whisky experience, cosy restaurants serving seasonal dishes, and luxury venues with Christmas-movie size trees in the lobby, Edinburgh is the best UK option for a festive city break by a royal mile.
Edinburgh summers are the stuff of legend – when the festival descends, it’s a frenzy of shows, street performers, packed-out pubs, and pop-ups in all corners of the city.
Fewer people though seem to know that as autumn turns to winter and snow dusts the roofs and spires of the city’s gothic cathedrals and historic buildings, Edinburgh becomes like the setting of a nativity play.
Trains from London and many UK cities arrive at Waverley Station, bang in the middle of Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town and neoclassical New Town. Though some roads are undeniably steep – steps up the old wynds towards the Old Town are particularly cumbersome – Edinburgh is a city that is easily explored on foot.
The city’s Royal Mile gets a lot of flack for its kilted pipers and shops selling clan and shortbread-style tourist tat. But while it may be wise to avoid the manic thoroughfare at certain times of the year, at Christmas it takes on a familiar charm.
At one end is the historic Palace of Holyroodhouse, the 17th-century official Scottish residence for Her Majesty the Queen (though she tends to be in Balmoral in Aberdeenshire at Christmas), with its pleasing symmetry of towers either side and views of Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat.
At the other end of the cobbled Royal Mile is the castle, perched high above the city like the perfect tree-topper.
Until Jan 9, 2022, the Castle of Light: Hidden Treasures installation embellishes the castle walls with stirring visuals. Anyone can view the outside display from the castle esplanade for free from 4.30pm onwards, while those with tickets can go within the castle walls to see a spectacular audio-visual show. From the castle’s battlements you can also view the glittering city below.
Much of that glittering comes from Edinburgh’s Christmas market, which is back, creating a festive meeting point in Princes Street Gardens, with a Ferris wheel (and other rides), wooden stalls selling mulled wine, whisky and bratwurst, and lots and lots of people. It’s worth nipping in for the jolly atmosphere (especially during weekdays, when the crowds are more manageable) but the festive spirit doesn’t stop here – far from it.
A 10-minute walk west along Princes Street, on the New Town side of the gardens, the new Johnnie Walker Experience, housed in the old House of Fraser department store, is a fun way to incorporate a few tipples into your day, while learning about one of Scotland’s most famous whisky brands along the way. If you don’t fancy a tour, the 1820 rooftop bar (booking essential) serves up expertly-crafted whisky cocktails with a full-on view of the castle.
From here, it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk to one of Edinburgh’s most salubrious roads – George Street. This year, the annual ice-skating rink has been relocated to the western end, but walk east and you will see some of Edinburgh’s most spectacular Christmas lights.
The Dome, at the eastern end of George Street, has long set the bar with its shiny lights, and this year is no different. The six Corinthian columns outside the grand restaurant are wrapped in lights, while huge Christmas wreaths, twinkling with fairy lights, are topped with huge red bows.
You’ll have to head inside to fully experience the building’s Christmas overload – in the lobby, a New Yorkstyle
Christmas tree towers up towards the cupola, and the Grill Room is a glimmering wonderland – the kind of place Kevin McAllister would inevitably get left behind in.
Across St Andrew Square is another grand festive facade, where a pair of Nutcracker soldiers welcome you into Cheval The Edinburgh Grand and its giant lobby tree. In this festive building, as well as enjoying afternoon tea and cocktails fireside upstairs at The Register Club, you can stay in one of the super-luxe apartments, which come with the level of service you’d expect in a five-star hotel.
And Edinburgh’s festive attractions aren’t limited to the city centre either – a little further into the New Town, St James Quarter is a great place to shop for gifts, while Dean Village, an old milling town on the Water of Leith, is like Edinburgh’s very own gingerbreadhouse village.
On the Southside of the city, the Sheep Heid – Edinburgh’s oldest inn – is about as Christmassy a pub as you could imagine. Serving chunky pies with thick slabs of pastry that melt on the tongue, it’s a great place to warm up after a hike to Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat – Edinburgh’s Highlands in miniature.
And what’s Christmas without some games? Pop into the Sheep Heid’s skittle alley for a free game (but try not to let it descend into a Christmas argument).
I defy you to go to Edinburgh and not have a good time. Edinburgh is good year-round, but during the festive period, it gets an extra-special sprinkling of magic.