Christmas Markets in Scotland
Updated: May 6, 2023
Winter is often pictured as a dark, cold and boring season but reality is that Scotland is a very magical place, especially during the holidays.
Think about arrays of twinkling lights, a nice cuppa of mulled wine, ice rinks with children laughing and Christmas market all around town where you can buy very nice handmade presents and decorations.
Scotland has a unique and rich winter heritage: starting from St Andrew’s celebrations to Christmas day, Hogmanay and Burn’s Night, Scotland has lots of sparkling events to accompany you through the festive season.
Christmas markets and Winter festival are the most popular and we have selected a few locations to make things easy if you are planning to visit our magic country this time of the year.
INVERNESS’S CHRISTMAS & WINTER FESTIVALS
The Highland capital offers a great winter experience and lots of shopping options and entertainment.
You can assist to the Christmas Light switch on usually late November and take the family to Whin Park for some festive frolics at the Winter Wonderland in December. You can also Meet Santa and his reindeers or watch a traditional pantomime at Eden Court theathre: https://eden-court.co.uk/
Even though Inverness city centre is full of shops that will satisfy plentily your Christmas cravings, it might be worth to visit Inverness’s Eden Christmas Craft & Food Fair.
Usually split across two weekends, this fair sees over a hundred producers at Eden Hall, from food to a whole range of crafted goods – jewellery, tweed, clothing, candles and much more. It is the perfect occasion to be naughty and do some shopping but also to simply just wonder around.
EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS
Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from November to Christmas and offers plenty of things to see and do. You can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the capital from the top of the Big Wheel but also visit Santa’s Grotto or spin around the beautiful carousel. You can find a full list of shows, free events and attractions here: http://www.edinburghschristmas.com/
While kids are having fun, don’t miss a peek to all the festive markets in the city centre, one of Edinburgh Christmas’ highlight. Traditional crafts will be available at the Scottish Market on George Street, for something unique and peculiar there will be the European market in the mount precinct and for the kids there will be the Children’s Market, part of Santa Land in Princess Street Gardens.
PERTH’S CHRISTMAS & WINTER FESTIVALS
The city of Perth is the perfect place to build up your Christmas spirit, being this full of sparkle and Christmas markets.
You can browse through Perth’s regular farmers’ market and the Winter Festival Market to stock up your pantry but also pay a visit to the St Andrew’s Day markets packed with delicious things to eat.The Perth Community Christmas & Craft Market is a great chance to pick up decorations and unique gifts to wrap and leave under your Christmas tree.
In late November, Perth makes all the chocoholics of the world happy with its Chocolate Festival where you can find chocolate produce from artisan chocolatiers and chocolate gifts.
GLASGOW LOVE CHRISTMAS
Glasgow is definitely the place to be for magical events and festive fun!
Dust off your Santa’s costume and join the 5K Santa Dash through the streets of Glasgow, the annual run is scheduled for the 8th of December and everybody is welcome, even you wee dog.
Christmas markets are also definitely a big part of Glasgow Christmas; the more traditional ones are St George Square and St Enoch Square but there also a lot of independent markets if you are looking for something special.
You can find all the information here: https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/arts-music-and-cultural-venues/glasgow-loves-christmas
These are the biggest and most known Christmas fairs but there are other Christmas events all around Scotland including:
-Aberdeen Christmas Village, https://www.aberdeeninspired.com/festival/
-Dundee’s Crafted Christmas Market, https://creativedundee.com/2019/10/dundee-christmas-markets-2019/
-Oban’s Winter Festival, http://obanwinterfestival.com/
-Stirling’s Christmas Market, https://www.whatsonstirling.co.uk/listings/stirling-winter-festival/
Well, what are waiting for? it’s time to do some Christmas shopping!!!
This post was first published 2nd December 2019
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This was a lovely introduction to the appeal of Christmas markets in Scotland. The seasonal atmosphere, local traditions, and festive settings make the idea of exploring these markets especially inviting. I also came across www.alamodtf.com while reading a related travel discussion, and it offered another interesting perspective on discovering memorable places. Thanks for sharing such a cheerful seasonal guide.
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