Top 9 Festivities And Christmas Markets In Edinburgh, Scotland

christmas markets in edinburgh
Pala
Pala 
Updated
| 3 min read

Edinburgh has a bevy of tourist attractions to allure visitors of various kinds. In fact, the city boasts some of the finest paid-for, as well as, free attractions for locals and tourists. You should take out some time and explore the new waterfront of the city or stroll through its streets to get a real feel of it. Edinburg Castle is one of the top attractions in Scotland. This iconic site is located on the Castle Rock Top and offers fantastic views of the entire city. Edinburgh Zoo is undoubtedly one of the most ideal venues for your entire family, especially when you are here with your kids. It is a brief ride from Edinburgh city center and houses more than 1000 spectacular animals. With Christmas around the corner, you simply cannot afford to miss these top festivities and Christmas markets in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1. Edinburgh Christmas Market


Regarded by many as one of Europe’s finest Christmas markets, Edinburgh Christmas Market has everything ranging from food stalls, bars to stalls selling all the products one would need to get for the festival. This bustling market spans over three different levels in Princess Street Gardens and can actually be quite congested over the weekends. Make sure you drop in here on a weekday to have a hassle-free shopping experience.

Edinburgh Christmas Market

Address: East Princes Street Gardens, Edinborough

Dates: November 19, 2021 - January 2, 2022

Opening hours. 10am - 10pm (daily)

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2. St Andrew Square Ice Rink

St Andrew Square - Christmas 2014
Source: Photo by Geograph user M J Richardson used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Edinburgh features an excellent circular ice rink, which is set at St. Andrew Square during the Hogmanay and Christmas seasons. Enjoy a 360-degree wonderful journey at this lovely square during the upcoming festive season and spend some time in the bar to make yourself warm and cozy. Simply get the skates on so that you can glide on this lovely elliptical ice rink, this Christmas.

St Andrew Square Ice Rink

Address: St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2BD, UK

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3. Santa’s Grotto

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

This Christmas, treat your little ones to a visit to Santa in Edinburgh. Come to West Princes Street Gardens along with your kids and greet the man in his signature red attire. Your kids will love to sit on the lap of Santa, listen to a lovely festive story, and get a surprise gift. The visits here happen in batches and start every half an hour. So, you should buy your tickets for a particular time slot prior to making an entry to Santa’s Grotto. Each visit will last for about 25 minutes or so. Also, experience an exciting balloon ride during this festive season.

Santa’s Grotto

Address: Santa Land in West Princes Street Gardens

Dates: November 20 - December 24, 2021

Opening hours: 10:30am - 7:30pm (daily)

Website: Santa’s Grotto

Price: From 8.50 GBP (11.40 USD)

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4. Edinburgh Light Night


Edinburgh’s Christmas season started with Light Night. It is a free event where people simply freaked on the spirit of Christmas with their community and the family members. Choirs from all over the country participated and performed in front of thousands of audiences while George Street was brightly lit up with fireworks.

Edinburgh Light Night

Address: George Street, Edinburgh

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5. Silent Light


Welcome to an ideal Christmas entertainment choice for everyone in your family. Silent Light gives you ample excuses to enjoy this ultimate road party where you can sing and dance to your heart’s glory under a fantastic arrangement of some 60,000 lights, which have been synced in a manner so that they can be only heard through your headphones.

Silent Light

Address: George Street, Edinburgh

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6. Christmas on Stage


Your Christmas celebration in Edinburgh will definitely be incomplete without attending some spectacular stage shows organized to celebrate the spirit of the festival. Enjoy these ultimate programs to culminate your festive entertainment in style in Edinburgh. Theaters in the city have come up with an array of stage shows for different age groups so that you can take your pick based on your preferences. This 2021 holiday season, treat yourself to a whimsical showing of White Christmas The Musical!

Christmas on Stage

Address: Edinburgh

Website: Christmas on Stage

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7. Festival Square Spiegeltent

Spiegeltent George Square Gardens Edinburgh
Source: Photo by user Jennifer Petrie used under CC BY-SA 2.0

In case you have missed out on this show, then it is time for you to book tickets for Edinburgh’s hottest event during this Christmas season. The event constitutes programs like fire-eating, magic show, music, swallowing swords, dance, and much more. There will be shows designed especially for families, as well as, the mind-blowing La Clique Noël - Part Deux. The event will be showcased at Edinburgh’s Festival Square Spiegeltent.

Festival Square Spiegeltent

Address: Festival Square, Lothian Road, Edinburh

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8. Doors of Advent


This wonderful and unique annual event will be held for 24 days (1st-24th December). Every day, a different building in the city will allow entry to the public so that they can get a chance to explore its hidden heritage and celebrate the architecture geniuses of Edinburgh. So, this Christmas season, discover a new and interesting place in the city on each day in December. You can also take inspiration from the weavers of Dovecot and sample the edible delights offered in a café called Leo’s at Dovecot.

24 Doors of Advent

Address: Varirous venues, Edinburgh

Dates: December 1 - 24

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9. Nativity Carol Concert


Can your Christmas celebration be complete without listening to and humming your favorite carols? Get a unique opportunity of joining the annual carols event in its complete traditional avatar. Nativity Carol Concert will be held at St. Andrew Square on November 28 (Sunday) from 3 pm onwards. Come and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

Nativity Carol Concert

Address: St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh

Dates: November 28, 2021

Opening hours: 3pm

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Enthralling Edinburgh

Old College Quad
Source: Photo by user Theoden sA used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Let this Christmas vacation be completely different from what it has been previously. Visit Edinburg this festive season with your dear ones and have an experience of a lifetime. Take your pick from the above-listed events and Christmas markets in Edinburgh and return home with delightful memories.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Pala Sen is an avid follower of travel and health updates, current affairs and entertainment news from all across the world and writing is a passion for her. She had been previously associated...Read more

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