Exploring Edinburgh at Christmas

 I've lived in Scotland for almost ten years now, and every year I get just as excited to visit Edinburgh's Christmas market. Walking out of the train station and being greeted by the warm glow of the glittering lights and attractions always fills me with so much joy. 

Last week, my friend Emily and I decided to head into Edinburgh for a fun day out to celebrate the end of our exams. After a few too many celebratory cocktails the night before, we were both feeling a little bit fragile, so we spent the day just walking around and taking in all of the Christmas festivities. I genuinely had the nicest time! Later that evening, I also met up with my mum for dinner and another wander around the market. 

One of my favourite things about the Christmas market is all of the different food and gift stalls. There are so many different stalls selling a variety of European foods and cuisines that make it so hard to choose what you want to eat, and the gifts always looks so unique and pretty. Pretty much every year I go for a pretzel, and this year was no different. My mum and I both decided to get one, and we also had a hot mug (or two) of mulled wine at the Bothy bar. The bar was really well decorated and cosy inside, and if you head up to the very top of the bar, you can get a really great view across the gardens and the Christmas market.

Of course, no trip to Edinburgh at Christmas time would be complete without a trip to The Dome to look at their classic Christmas decorations. The Dome is always decorated so beautifully at this time of year, and like many other people, I couldn't resist taking a photo. 

I had such a lovely day wandering around and exploring the Christmas market. It was so chilled out and relaxed and exactly what I needed to celebrate the end of a semester of stress and exams. Every year I get excited to visit the market and take in all of the festivities, and this year definitely didn't disappoint.