Christmas in Edinburgh – is that possible?

Oh I love to travel and see the world! And when you do, you get your favorite countries… One of mine is Scotland! This is a fantastic country – beautiful scenery and friendly people! And the well cooked food to enjoy everywhere.

When I told people I was going to spend Christmas in Edinburgh 2013, the reaction I got was almost always surprise. But why not? Edinburgh is a cool Christmas city and has one of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe. If the weather gets cold or raw, there is always mulled wine and cider to keep you warm (which is quite often by the way…). It is rather easy just to slip into one of the pubs and have an amazingly tasty soup at a good price – one of the big charms to enjoy.

We landed a few days before Christmas and went to visit the Christmas market. There were Christmas lights, decorations, market stalls, a lot of people and Santa land!

Of course you could see Santa hiding in the chimney as well…

We had an amazing dinner at The Witchery, a restaurant I truly recommend if you are in Edinburgh. Good food, service minded staff and such a cosy atmosphere!

And no Christmas without a visit at the castle, right..?

Edinburgh Castle serves a three course Christmas lunch that you can pre-order (we did this online before we traveled), a traditional menu that you enjoy with traditional party hats and Christmas crackers! We also took the opportunity to take a look around the castle and its surroundings – do not miss to see all of Edinburgh from above!

The whole city was full of Christmas decorations, some less and some more..:

Including the airport, what do you think of this Christmas tree with the symbolic decorations..?

The best sides of Edinburgh

Scotland, along with the rest of Britain, has a bad reputation for its weather, which is very unfair since the country very often offers great sunshine in a great landscape. Edinburgh is a very hilly city, so you will always get a lot of free exercise as you walk around the city. And you do walk around, this is a perfect city to walk in. At the top, in a strategic position, is Edinburgh castle:

As if it was not enough to see the view of the entire city when you visit the castle, you can also lift your eyes and see all the way to the snow covered mountains. Beautiful!

The famous city street all the way down from the castle  is called High Street but is known as the Royal Mile. This is a street bordered with shops that will fulfill your dreams if you like wool, cashmere and kilts (and who doesn´t??). If the road is long, there is always street entertainment to amuse you on your stroll…

The Royal Mile leads all the way down to Holyrood Palace, the Scottish royal palace that is still used for representation when there are royal visits. Take the chance to walk a guided tour through a furnished palace and its history. If you are interested, also make a visit at the Queens Gallery.

It is my strong opinion that the city of Edinburgh has a real character and lots of exciting architecture. Being such a hilly city makes it all so much more fascinating!

Finally, just need to mention the traditional Scottish pubs, you will never go to Scotland and miss them. If this one is true, I leave to you to discover:

Please make sure you make a visit to Scotland if you have the opportunity!