Edinburgh Winter Wonderland

     If you’ve never been to Edinburgh at Christmas time, I highly recommend it. Sure, it’s Hogmanay that gets most of the attention; but in a city that boasts so much history and culture – there’s a castle on top of a volcano in the city centre for goodness’ sake! – how could Christmas be anything other than magical? There are lights strewn all over the city, from ropes running the length of Rose Street to the twinkling trees leading up to the castle. Princes Street Gardens is the core of it all, the Winter Wonderland lit up like a fairy tale in the weeks running up to Christmas. Living in Edinburgh, I sometimes take these sorts of things for granted, but I make sure to visit this at least once each year. There’s lots of fairground rides, from the carousel and helter-skelter for the children, to the ferris wheel and spinning swings for the grown-ups to enjoy too. Then there’s the German-style Christmas Market, which seems to be bigger than ever this year. Warm your hands on your mug of mulled wine or cider, munch on delicious pretzels, sausages or waffles, and browse handmade craft stalls for all your gifts and decorations. The Winter Wonderland is open all day, but I prefer to go after dark, to see all the lights, and experience the way that it creates such a warm, festive atmosphere on even the coldest of nights.