Santa Claus is coming to a different part of town for Edinburgh’s Christmas this year, bringing with him an incredible contingent of over 80 market stallholders that will be stationed across the Scottish capital to ensure visitors can find the perfect gift for their loved ones this festive season.
Edinburgh’s Christmas, presented by UniqueAssembly on behalf on City of Edinburgh Council, officially opens Friday 17 November, with Santa and a bunch of helpful elves taking over St Andrew Square from Saturday 18 November – 6 January 2024, with a letter writing station for kids, Santa Stories, a 10m tall Christmas Tree and Social Bite’s Gift Donation point.
While Santa has migrated this year, Christmas markets will still take place in East Princes Street Gardens and George Street, featuring a host of local and continental food, drink, art, craft, and gift vendors. LocalMotive’s Christmas Market will also return to Castle Street 25 November to 22 December. With plenty of old familiars returning for another year of festivity, Edinburgh’s Christmas is proud to also welcome a cohort of brand-new vendors to the Christmas Markets.
Deck your halls with Christmas decorations from Glasgow locals Hairy Fairy Gifts, give your tree the wow-factor with embroidered hangings from Christmas Wow, grab some colourful ornaments from returning favourites The Christmas Nutcracker Shop, or make lasting festive memories with an interactive Snow Globe photo.
For an artisanal and handmade year-round gift, be sure to visit returning gems include Isle of Skye Leather, World of Baubles, and The Edinburgh Natural Skincare Company as well as newcomers to the markets, Westmount Art, Solid Cologne UK and Paraffle, offering 100% handmade art and crafts, sustainable solid perfumes, and embroidery kits and gifts respectively.
For moments when the weather outside is frightful, there are a host of stalls to keep you toasty and warm with handmade wool jumpers, scarves, shawls and gloves from LOUD elephant, tweed and woollens from local suppliers Macraes of Edinburgh, or something fun for the wee ones from Joe Cool’sincredible collection of colourful socks and gifts, amongst others.
For the foodie in your life, there are plenty of stalls offering take-home food and drink, ingredients and gifts. Pick up something for the gin-lover in your life from Scotland’s smallest craft distillery Great Glen Distillery; boast the best cheese board of the season with the help of Cherry Tree Preserves; or grab those essential Christmas day treats from The Fudge Company.
The gourmet experience isn’t reserved for the home; the Edinburgh’s Christmas markets host a wide variety of delicious local and continental street food and drink to enjoy during your visit.
Fresh off the back of opening their first London restaurant, Scottish favourites Ting Thai will bring their award-winning Pad Thai to East Princes Street Gardens; Edinburgh Street Food resident The Peruvian will be serving up traditional South American dishes; along with Pies from the Jarvis Pickle Kitchen. There’s no shortage of sweet options from Spanish Churros to Crepes and Waffles, or warm up with something mulled from the bar or a luxury hot chocolate from Hector and Harriet.
Family-run Soctopus, locals Brownhill Whisky, Native Handicraft and many more make George Street a must-see stop on your Edinburgh’s Christmas trip; while LocalMotive takes over Castle Street Christmas Market from 25 November, with 22 stalls selling quality made local, fair trade and ethical gifts; arts and crafts, food and drinks.
Edinburgh’s Christmas celebrations will run for seven weeks, Friday 17 November 2023 – Saturday 6 January 2024.
The city centre will become a circle of Christmas cheer with four locations to explore – the East Princes Street Gardens Christmas Market which opens early evening on Friday 17 November, the Festive Family Funfair in West Princes Street Gardens, Santa’s Workshop and Social Bite Festival of Kindness at St Andrew Square, and the Ice Rink on George Street West which all open from Saturday 18 November, and then LocalMotive’s Castle Street Christmas Market which will open from Saturday 25 November.
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Who are these ‘stalholders’? Edinbugh shopkeepers or itinerant parasites?
Why do we not see genuinely ehnically Scottish products?
Why are the ‘markets’ that same everywhere I go at Christmas… Munich is the only one ‘with a difference’.