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It’s no wonder why so many people say a visit to Edinburgh during the Christmas Season is a must. Edinburgh hosts loads of Christmas festivities scattered throughout the city, with the major attraction being the Edinburgh Christmas Market right in the center. With great food, lovely handmade crafts, and even carnival rides, the Edinburgh Christmas Market makes for a great excuse to visit the Scottish capital!
We lived in Scotland for 11 months before visiting Edinburgh. For those of you not living in Scotland, let us explain this to you. Literally, every person we meet asks us if we’ve been to Edinburgh. And the face they made when we told them no was the face you made when you found out Santa wasn’t real. Disbelief. Shock. And disappointment. We can’t even count how many people have told us we have to visit Edinburgh.
Two problems with that. One… we would choose nature over big cities any day – hence the reason for all our other Scottish adventures. And two, Isobel is slightly afraid of city slickers, she does much better camping in the wild. With that said, when we saw a massive deal on train tickets from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, we couldn’t pass them up… leading to our first visit to the capital.
{Traveler’s Tip… Sign up for Scotrail’s newsletters. They are constantly emailing us great deals like £5 tickets between Aberdeen and Edinburgh!}
Edinburgh Christmas Market
Traveling down to Edinburgh, we basically had one idea in mind. Visit the Christmas events throughout the city. We got to Waverley Station Saturday evening, and since the Christmas market is right outside the train station, we made it our first stop.
With no rain, and actually rather warm weather, the entire city was at the markets. To our surprise, there were carnival rides for children and adults, Christmas tree mazes, and an entire section dedicated as Santa’s Village. The Edinburgh Christmas Market should really be called Edinburgh Christmas Market and Fair!
Aside from all the fun extras, there were loads of market stalls. People were selling delicious food, mulled cider and wine, and beautiful Christmas crafts! It was a great first Christmas market experience for Heather, however, it only made Jason excited to show Heather more!
A Wee Beer Festival
Our friends that traveled with us to Edinburgh were going to a craft beer festival Saturday night. After a few hours at the Christmas market, we decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to head to the beer festival with them!
We spent a couple hours tasting multiple delicious beers, ate amazing food from the small food vendors, and even played a couple rounds of video games! This beer festival was amazing!
Since the beer festival ran from 6-11, we decided to leave in the middle of it to enjoy some more Christmas events before returning for a couple more hours. When we returned there were hundreds more people at the event and we even ran into one of Jason’s professors!
Not Just an Edinburgh Christmas Market, but a Street Light Show…
Leaving the beer festival, we made our way across town to George Street where the Festival of Lights was to be held. This was a light show where the lights flashed sporadically to the recordings of either choirs or a fiddle band. We say sporadically because although they are supposed to go to the music, honestly, they really didn’t seem like they did! And we emphasized recordings because when we heard of them, we thought they were going to be live shows!
…And Cute Villages Too!
Our weekend in Edinburgh was more than just visiting the Edinburgh Christmas market, tasting loads of beer, and seeing a Christmas light show. We spent a lot of time wandering down random streets in the city too. Although Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, the outskirts of the city boast a quaint village feel.
A picture on #VisitScotland made us want to visit an area of Edinburgh called Dean’s Village. Now, what the picture didn’t show was how beautiful of a walk it would be to Dean’s Village. Heading out of town, we walked by adorable cafes and a small weekend market before finding our way along a path down the river.
We were amazed at how cute Dean’s Village is. It really takes you out of the big city, and into a charming little well, village!
{Traveler’s Tip… We’ve written a bit more about Edinburgh. If you’re interested in further details of how to get to Dean’s Village and Circus Lane, or other great finds we stumbled across while visiting the Edinburgh Christmas Market, be sure to check out our Hidden Gems of Edinburgh post here.}
Our first time in Edinburgh was definitely one we won’t forget about. Although everything was great in Edinburgh, we were off to a rough start when part of Heather’s bike got stolen the day before leaving, and then we missed our train Saturday morning. However, just because things seem to go wrong, doesn’t mean they have to be all that terrible.
Yes, we were frustrated, and Heather was even crying after we missed our train, but thanks to a nice man on the phone, we were able to jump on the next one and ride down to Edinburgh with our friends! We’re not going to lie, we were a bit hesitant about getting on the train, as it seemed the Lord was trying to prevent us from going. But it all ended up well, we made it to Edinburgh, had a lovely time, and are excited to go back again in the future!
Recommended Gear for Visiting Edinburgh
Travel Bag:
We always travel with this backpack. It doesn’t really look like a backpacker’s bag, has so many compartments to store and hide your belongings, and the zippers can connect to each other making it difficult for someone to just unzip the bag while you’re walking around. And, it’s waterproof, something you’ll definitely need during a trip to Scotland!
Camera Set Up:
All photos in this post were taken with this camera using mainly this lens, and occasionally this one. You can check out a full list of our camera gear here.
Water Bottle:
It’s actually safe to drink the water in Scotland, and we’d argue that you’ll never find a place with better tasting water, so just filling this water bottle each time you leave your accommodation will save you some cash! And the best part is, this bottle keeps liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 6 hours – so your water will stay cold all day, or you could fill it with hot coffee or tea to go!
Where To Stay in Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Hotels
There are a couple of major hotels in and around Edinburgh like the Radisson Blu Edinburgh, but honestly with prices up around 100 USD, staying at a big fancy hotel in Edinburgh isn’t the best if you’re on a budget!
Our favorite website to search for hotels is Booking. They compare sites like Booking, Agoda, Expedia and more, showcasing the best prices and the best days to stay!
AirBnB Edinburgh
AirBnB is a much more affordable way to stay in Edinburgh, Scotland, and you’ll get a much more local feel for your stay.
Overnight Parking / Sleeping in Campervan in Edinburgh
We’ve found that places outside the city are better than finding places to park in Edinburgh. While you will find free parking in some random locations, most is paid for, and with one way streets and tight squeezes, it’s best to park outside the city and take public transporation in!
We recommend renting a van through these guys if you are planning on renting a van in Scotland for your accommodation!
How To Get To Edinburgh
Traveling to Edinburgh by Train
There is a train stop right on Princes Street just a few minutes away from the Royal Mile. Check out the most affordable way to get to Edinburgh by train and other transport on Rome2Rio!
Flying into Edinburgh
There is airport in Edinburgh that runs both budget airlines and larger long haul flights. Edinburgh can be very expensive to fly into during August with their big festival that time of year, but Christmas time should be a bit cheaper! To check flights to Edinburgh search here!
Driving to Edinburgh
Edinburgh is an easy place to drive to, and if you simply park on the outskirts of the city, parking isn’t too expensive. In the city, parking can add up fast! Not only that, but with tiny streets navigating through the city can be quite stressful! Just be prepared and always pull over to check your navigation if you get lost!
Getting Around Edinburgh, Scotland
Public Transportation in Edinburgh
It’s not really necessary to use public transportation in Edinburgh as many of the streets will be missed if you do! You can take public transport to the town from nearby cities, but we’d recommend walking in the actual town or visiting via bike! Though, it is quite fun to ride on the double-decker buses throughout the city. Check out the day pass prices, as this may be a cheaper bet for you if you intend to take public transportation a lot!
Walking in Edinburgh
Walking is the best way to see Edinburgh! It gives you the freedom to sneak down any little alleys and explore the cobblestone streets!
Biking in Edinburgh
If you have your own bike with you, you can explore the town via bike, or simply ride in and leave your bike parked near some of the main tourist attractions. But again, you’re best to do at least some walking! You can also rent bikes in the city at different little bike rental spots scattered around! Be sure to lock up your bike and your bike tires, as bike theft in Scotland is a big problem!
