undefined (Image: Vita Molyneux)
Hailing from the Southern Hemisphere – specifically New Zealand – where Christmas is a summer event, I had never experienced the winter festivities of the season.
However, having relocated to London, I was preparing for my inaugural winter Christmas. As part of this new experience, I decided to visit a Christmas Market during a weekend trip to Edinburgh, home to one of the UK’s most frequented festive markets.
Upon arrival at Waverley train station, it was evident that the market was a popular attraction, with throngs of tourists flooding the area.
After a lengthy five-and-a-half-hour train journey, we opted to bypass the bustling market that day in favour of a quieter Sunday afternoon exploration.
The market, set against the stunning backdrop of Princes Street and the towering Edinburgh Castle, was undeniably picturesque.
The crowds at Edinburgh Christmas market (Image: Vita Molyneux)
It boasted a massive ferris wheel, a helter-skelter, and a daunting ‘Sky whirler’ ride that hoisted daring passengers 80 metres into the air for a spin.
I mustered up the courage to ride the Ferris Wheel instead of the Whirler. The tickets were priced at £11, which seemed somewhat fair.
As we visited early in the day, the queues were short and my boyfriend and I had a carriage to ourselves – a relief given my fear of heights. Despite my apprehension, I found myself enjoying the gentle rotations of the ferris wheel and the stunning views across the city towards Arthur’s Seat.
The weather was clear, providing excellent visibility of the entire city. However, I was relieved when we returned to solid ground.
Edinburgh Christmas Market at night (Image: Vita Molyneux)
By the time our 10-minute ride ended, the crowds had swelled considerably, making navigating through the market a challenging task. Attempting to browse the stalls became difficult as I found myself pinned against the wooden tables by the crowd.
After battling through the throng, we decided to stop for some crumble, priced at £8 per portion. I opted for apple while my partner chose cherry, although it was hard to distinguish due to the watery custard topping.
The crumble was satisfactory, nothing extraordinary but decent enough for a stroll through the bustling market. Needless to say, we finished our portions.
Following that, it was time for another first – a mulled cider. Despite being a huge fan of cider in its original form, this experience was far from enjoyable.
The small paper cups of liquid cost £6.50 and my partner’s had some suspicious looking bits floating in it which I assume were spices. My drink was thankfully free of detritus but at the first sip, I knew I had made a mistake.
It tasted as if someone had chucked a tin of cheap cider into the microwave then added some cinnamon as an afterthought – metallic, chemically and cloying. Despite not being one to half finish things, I couldn’t make it more than halfway through the tiny cup before admitting defeat and binning it.
By this point, a gentle rain had started and the crowds had seemingly tripled in size in the half hour we had wandered through. Unable to bear it any longer, we scarpered to the nearest pub for a calming pint – cold this time.
Our crumbles were fine but nothing fabulous (Image: Vita Molyneux)
All in all, my first market experience was disappointing, although I do attribute some of that to being so used to summer Christmas.
Being bundled up in several layers as a misty rain coats my glasses isn’t what I feel Christmas is about – I’d rather be manning a barbecue in a sundress.
I have the ethos of trying everything twice, so I already have plans to try another market in London. Hopefully, the offerings are slightly more inspiring – although I don’t hold out much hope for the crowd to be smaller.