As the exam season is finishing up, it might be worth a trip down south to Edinburgh for the yearly Christmas market. The market, which runs from Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, to Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, has “funfair rides, spectacular live outdoor events, delicious food and drink, plus so much more!” For many of you, this will be a chance to experience a European-style Christmas market not too far from St Andrews and an opportunity to take a break from studying. As someone who has visited the markets and all there is to see, I will be giving you the details on what you need to see and try and what you can miss from the Edinburgh Christmas markets this holiday season.
First things first, I will split the markets up into distinct categories of food, material goods, and activities, and will rate each out of 5, based on contributing factors such as price and quality.
- Food and drinks at the Markets: ☆★★★★ 4/5 stars
The food choice at the Christmas market is varied and regionalized. Not only can you get traditional German foods such as bratwurst with sauerkraut and currywurst, you can find stalls for other savoury items such as macaroni and cheese, Indian food, Latin American empanadas, smoked salmon, and more. Some of the stalls are more traditional and some more avant garde like the stall selling a traditional British roast within a yorkshire pudding style wrap. There are also stalls for french fries and poutine (a Canadian special), as well as pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches. The quality of these foods is surprisingly good, as many of the vendors are either small businesses or food trucks. A lot of the food is also made by people of the various cultures the food represents. Alongside the savoury stalls are the sweet ones which offer a variety of goods including crepes, fruit in chocolate, mini donuts, waffles, and brownies. As someone who has an affinity for crepes, I knew I had to try one with Nutella, and it was definitely worth the 6 pounds I paid for it. The portions were surprisingly large which made up for the price.
In addition to the food were the various drinks. Everything seemed to be ‘mulled’: i.e. mulled wine, cider, rum, and gin. As a North American, I had never drunk mulled anything before coming to the U.K. Additionally, in what may come as a shock to many Americans, hot apple cider is not a thing here. Instead mulled cider is an alcoholic beverage served at Christmas for adults. Out of the ‘mulled’ beverages, I have to give the highest rating to the mulled gin which was outstanding, and I could not recommend it enough. Alongside the alcoholic beverages, there are traditional Christmas hot chocolate stands for those who abstain from drinking.
Where the food and drinks ultimately lose a star is in the pricing. Despite the food portions being priced adequately, the drinks are quite expensive for what you receive and can end up costing a fortune in comparison. However, this category represents itself well.
- Material Goods ☆☆★★★ 3/5 stars
Moving on to the goods at the market, I would say that there is definitely a mix between wholesale items made by local craftsmen and mass-produced items sold to eager tourists. Some of the stalls worth visiting sell candles and incense, pottery, scarves, wood carvings, traditional German crafts, and old maps. There is also a neat booth selling moonshine that is brewed in Germany. However, I would look out for tourist traps such as the wool and jewelry booths where the prices are outlandish as compared to the goods for sale. Although many of the items are neat mementos for your time at the market, the prices cause one to think about how cheap they’d be on Amazon.
Therefore, despite the fun nature of the goods at the market, I would give the whole experience of 3/5 stars for the general high pricings of goods that are sold higher than their value. However, the stalls are very pretty and come together to create a very European Christmas aesthetic.
- Activities ☆☆★★★ 3/5 stars
Now, I have to preface this review by saying that I am not someone who enjoys rides and carnival activities. Therefore I will try and be as unbiased as I can.
The rides include a large Ferris wheel, a carousel, a very high swing ride, and an orbiter. If you’re a carnival enthusiast you will probably enjoy most of these, maybe save the carousel which is geared towards a younger demographic. The only caveat I see with the rides is the expensive pricing for two minutes of fun. That being said, the experience is worth as much as you make it. So if you really enjoy rides, go right ahead. However, I will say that, despite its expensive pricing, the Ferris wheel has really good views of the city and the park below.
Generally speaking though, the high pricing brings this aspect down to 3 stars.
All in all, I enjoyed myself immensely at the Edinburgh Christmas Market. While I believe some added stalls and (cheaper!) rides could make it more fun, it is certainly a great way to jumpstart your Christmas season.
A final few tips from me: First, I would definitely go during a weekday for the smaller crowds. You could even take it one step further and go during the day instead of at night. The market generally opens around 10:00 am and gets going around 11:00-11:30 am so a day experience can be nicer for those who don’t appreciate large queues or crowds. Another tip: make sure you experience George Street. Especially if you go during the day, it’s a great shopping street to get some Christmas shopping done, and there are multiple stalls for both goods and food at the end of it. And if you go at night, the lights on the buildings and streets are very pretty.
Well, that’s all from me, I hope you gained some insights into the Edinburgh Christmas Market experience and want to give it a visit! Have a Merry Christmas everyone!