If you haven’t experienced Christmas in Scotland before, you won’t understand the magic that’s waiting for you. Every corner of the historical country comes to life with a sprinkle (or a dump truck) full of all the festive Christmas vibes you’re looking for.
Hiring one of our luxury Scottish motorhomes is the perfect way to see not one, not two, not three…but four of the most incredible Christmas markets in Scotland. Why stop at one? Consider it your Christmas market crawl.
Read on for four of our favourite and most magical Christmas markets in Scotland.
Edinburgh Christmas Market
We’ll start with the big boy—the Edinburgh Christmas Market.
It’s by far one of the biggest and most outstanding Christmas markets in Scotland. East Princes Street Gardens turns into a magical wonderland (it trumps London’s Winter Wonderland, in our opinion) of twinkling lights and fairground rides with a hint of mulled wine and festive treats in the air.
Located in front of Edinburgh Castle, there couldn’t be a more perfect location for a Christmas market.
Just as you’d expect from a Christmas market, 70 stalls will sell all the Christmas food delights you can think of: German bratwurst, roasted chestnuts (don’t knock it until you try it), mulled wine, mince pies, and some tasty local classics.
If you’re bringing kids along, the Big Wheel and the ice skating rinks are a must—and don’t forget Santa’s Grotto. Or maybe all you need is the big kid inside you to enjoy the festive fun! This year, you’ll also see the Castle of Light experience from late November until January and the famous torchlight procession to start the famous Hogmanay celebrations on 29th December.
People come from across the globe to see the Edinburgh Christmas Market. In 2024, the market will run from November 17th until January 5th, 2025.
Glasgow Christmas Market
Some people call the Glasgow Christmas market the most beautiful in the United Kingdom. If you do our suggested Christmas market tour in our luxury motorhome, you can tell us if you think the same.
Glasgow splits its Christmas market across George Square and St. Enoch’s Centre and turns them into the most enchanting wonderland. If you love St. Enoch’s Centre any other time of the year, you’ll love it at Christmas. The outside of the bustling shopping centre turns into a twinkling winter wonderland.
Both locations take on a similar vibe as the Edinburgh market, with vendors travelling from as far as Germany, Poland, Turkey, and Spain to bring you their Christmas culinary delights—and don’t forget the delicious local Scottish treats!
Running from November 18th to January 7th, 2025, we’d say this is in our top two Christmas markets in Scotland.
Aberdeen Christmas Village
An entire Christmas village? Who wouldn’t want a piece of that mince pie (terrible pun…)?
Aberdeen’s Christmas Village Festival is set in northeast Scotland in, believe it or not, Aberdeen, located in the heart of the city on Broad Street, in the Quad within Marischal College Quadrangle.
What we love about this Christmas market is that it combines all the magic and sparkle of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Christmas markets and puts its own unique twist on the experience. Every weekend brings something new—from crafts to gourmet food to arts and crafts.
We also love that the Aberdeen Christmas Village isn’t only about spreading Christmas cheer; it’s about bringing the community (and tourists) together for a greater cause. Organised by the charity Charlie House—a local charity for improving the lives of babies and children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses and conditions—they raised £24,500 in 2023.
Head there and enjoy their vintage carousel, Christmas maze, incredible food stalls, and incredible vibes. In 2024, the Aberdeen Christmas Village will run from Friday 15th November to Saturday 22nd December 2024.
Oban Winter Festival
The Oban Winter Festival is a truly unique experience.
The quadruple award-winning festival is one we’d recommend everyone to see. Technically, we’ve cheated. It’s not exactly a Christmas market, but it is a winter festival that captures the beginning of the Christmas vibes. And the location was voted by TimeOut as one of the 10 most festive Christmas towns in the UK, and Countryfile voted it as one of Britain’s best Christmas markets in 2023—we can’t argue with that, can we?
The full winter festival program isn’t out yet, but we do know it’ll be a dazzling affair of music, food, and fun. The finale of the Oban Winter Festival is a spectacular concert on Sunday, 24th November 2024, which you can already buy tickets for.
Running from 15th -24th November 2024, we’d recommend this one to kick off your winter fun.
Which Christmas market are you most excited to visit? We promise all of them will bring the Christmas vibes you’ve been waiting patiently for. You’ll soon realise Scotland is one of the best places for Christmas fun!
