{"id":640542,"date":"2025-12-18T16:28:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T16:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/640542\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T16:28:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T16:28:32","slug":"how-to-spend-christmas-in-edinburgh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/640542\/","title":{"rendered":"How to spend Christmas in Edinburgh"},"content":{"rendered":"

An illuminated castle, ice skating and bagpipers can only mean one thing: it\u2019s Christmas time in Edinburgh. If visiting Scotland\u2019s capital city at Xmas has been on your bucket list for years, there’s still plenty of the time to grab your mates and hop on a train (LNER<\/a> can whisk you from Kings Cross London to Edinburgh in just over four hours) and immerse yourself in the festive fun. Here\u2019s the WH guide to all the best bits.<\/p>\n

The Xmas things you\u2019ll want to see and do\"edinburgh<\/p>\n

Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

First off, the Christmas lights in Edinburgh are magical. There\u2019s a Fire & Ice show<\/a> at the Castle, but seeing images projected onto the side of the castle cliffs after dark is free and pretty spectacular too. Below the castle are the winter gardens (like Winter Wonderland Hyde Park only less crowded) with neon-lit rides including a soaring spinning tower if you\u2019ve got a head for heights.<\/p>\n

For a bird’s eye view of the gardens, castle and beyond go for a ride on the LNER Big Wheel<\/a> (runs until 4 Jan), and for a more grounded adrenalin rush hit the Ice Rink<\/a> on George\u2019s Street, which had plenty of space and smooth-not-slushy ice, even on a busy Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

More festive feels at the Royal Botanical Gardens<\/a>, where a light trail gives Kew Gardens a run for its money. An enchanting after-dark experience, it takes around an hour to walk past the neon sculptures, flaming torches and glowing flowers.<\/p>\n

\"napiers\"<\/p>\n

Napiers Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

Edinburgh’s packed with independent shops so Christmas shopping is a must-do. I can thoroughly recommend Napiers<\/a>, an apothecary dating back to 1860, where you can pick up all sorts of unusual presents, like miracle cream (be gone lines, discolouration and dry skin), delicious-smelling hair tonics and herbal tea remedies. Also swing by SDX (Scottish Design Exchange<\/a>) which started as a retail revolution against chains taking over the high street and is packed full of work by local artists and crafts people and every penny you spend goes back to them \u2013 lots of fun stocking filler ideas and some great art too<\/p>\n

Planning to visit over New Year? People jet in from around the world to celebrate Hogmanay<\/a>, Edinburgh’s New Year celebrations, which kick off on 29 Dec with a torchlit procession followed by a massive street party and fireworks above the castle on 30 Dec. And If you’re feeling brave, you can join in Loony Dook 2026 on 1 Jan, where enthusiastic swimmers pull on fancy dress and throw themselves into the icy waters of the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry.<\/p>\n

The hotel worth your money\"edinburgh<\/p>\n

Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

Recently-opened The Grand Edinburgh, A Luxury Collection Hotel<\/a>, which lies in a tranquil square just off tourist-packed Princes Street, is the perfect balance between part of the action and city oasis. <\/p>\n

Tucked away from the main drag, it\u2019s surprisingly calm and peaceful and extremely, well, grand (clue\u2019s in the name) as it lies in the former headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland. From the moment you walk through the giant wooden doors guarded by giant Nutcracker soldiers, you know you\u2019re stepping into somewhere special – look up and marvel at the five circular stairways winding up to a domed ceiling high above, while below in the subterranean gym you can work out next to the banks\u2019 original vaults.<\/p>\n

\"room<\/p>\n

Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

It\u2019s epic in every way, from the scale (hello high ceilings) to the level of luxury in the rooms and suites. If you\u2019re travelling in a group Room 208, which sleeps four, is the one to book and comes with a lounge, king-sized bed and a mezzanine with another double. There\u2019s also a sizeable kitchen with everything you could need for a longer stay – oven, fridge, dishwasher, even a washing machine – which fuels dreams of running away and starting a new life in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

My room (2010) came with a squishy burnt orange sofa, arty coffee table books, a bed covered in Frette linen and so many lovely extras, including fragrant Napier toiletries (see above) in the smart monochrome bathroom, a turndown service of Edward and Irwin locally-made sea salt chocolates and shortbread biscuits with the tea and coffee – staying in it felt like an Edinburgh hug.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

As with all the world\u2019s best hotels though, it\u2019s the staff that really make it special. We chatted to everyone including the friendly doorman who filled us in on the gossip about Jenner\u2019s department store closing on Princes Street (he reckons it’s reopening as a hotel, shops and restaurant soon), charming waiter Li, who made going to breakfast feel extra special, and the world’s warmest receptionist. There\u2019s a family atmosphere at The Grand which means you look forward to returning after a day sightseeing.<\/p>\n

The food and drink you\u2019ll want to try<\/p>\n

Edinburgh\u2019s food scene’s braw (look it up), so it’s difficult to whittle it down. However if you\u2019ve only got a couple of days in the city I\u2019d recommend booking Sushi Samba<\/a> at the top of the W Hotel, a circular building affectionally known as ‘the turd’ by locals.<\/p>\n

\"sushi<\/p>\n

Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind of place where even the lifts to reach it are extra – look down and you’ll see a swirling snowy landscape beneath your feet. Go for drinks at the circular bar first, where some of the best mixologists in the city work their magic. Try the Mangrove Grove which tastes like sunshine (fresh mango, vodka, mint wine and lime) and comes with the biggest ice cube you’ve ever seen – apparently they buy them in giant ingots from the Edinburgh Ice Company.<\/p>\n

With a mouth-watering hybrid menu of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian dishes, it can take a while to choose. We ended up asking our waiter to advise and were not disappointed with our feast, highlights of which included prawn tempura with light-as-air batter and spicy mayo, wagyu beef gyoza, melt-in-the-mouth pork rib with a soy glaze, a miso cod to rival Nobu and incredible sushi nigiri rolls topped with roe, plus sides of blackened broccoli and edamame beans. Don’t forget to step onto the terrace for panoramic views of the city lit up at night before you leave.<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

The Register Club Amanda Statham<\/p>\n

For lunch, The Register Club<\/a> at The Edinburgh Grand has the kind of effortless posh-yet-cosy atmosphere so many hotels aspire to but never achieve. Xmas wreaths adorn the windows, a Christmas tree twinkles in the corner and you can slide into a comfy booths and tuck into comforting-yet-healthy dishes like salmon and dahl. We loved it so much we went back for a cheeky mid-afternoon mulled wine. It also serves what is surely the best breakfast in the city – a Full Scottish, including a round of surprisingly sweet haggis, thick slices of bacon and perfectly cooked eggs. <\/p>\n

Still hungry? Lady Libertine’s<\/a> is a relaxed, low-lit basement bar-come-restaurant which was packed on a Saturday night and ideal for visiting with friends thanks to plenty of tasty sharing plates – think padron peppers with chorizo and halloumi fries – and killer cocktails (there’s a decent mocktail list too).<\/p>\n

And what about fitness?<\/p>\n

Edinburgh\u2019s built on a hillside and there are lots of steep steps, so simply by walking around sightseeing and shopping you’ll be upping your cardio. If you need more of a workout, however, you can always hit the basement gym at The Grand Edinburgh, it\u2019s really big, well-equipped and if you\u2019re lucky you\u2019ll get it to yourself (there was no one in when we tried it out). Runners can turn up for a 9.30am Park Run<\/a>, a popular weekly gathering which will test the stamina of regular runners with a hill straight from the get-go. <\/p>\n

Go there!<\/p>\n

Rooms at The Edinburgh Grand, A Luxury Collection Hotel<\/a> from \u00a3290pn. Take the train to Waverley Station (it\u2019s just over four hours from London King\u2019s Cross with LNER<\/a>) and you\u2019re delivered into the heart of the action, a short stroll from Princes Street and in the shadow of the castle.<\/p>\n

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