It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas

Plus: City office to be turned into hotel, "Snob" row at university, and 13-year-old charged with Bonfire Night wrecking spree

Christmas Market set to welcome the festive crowds

If it still feels too early, then remember there are only 44 shopping days (and just six weekends) until the big day. That means it’s time for the return of Edinburgh’s Christmas Markets which open their doors on Friday.

Twentyfive years after the first “German Market” in Princes Street Gardens, the festive stalls, hot dog stands, fair ground rides and ice rink have become staples of Christmas in the Capital.

This year many of the most popular attractions - including the ice rink and big wheel - are back, alongside some new ones. There is a new lay-out, designed to ease the overcrowding which has been a regular feature at peak times in recent years.

Around three million visitors are expected to visit the Christmas Markets over the course of seven weeks, more than a third of them from Edinburgh and the Lothians. The influx of festive trade will be welcomed by city centre bars, shops and restaurants as the difference for some between keeping their doors open into the New Year or not.

What’s On? The Christmas Market opens in East Princes St Gardens on Friday with its usual mix of stalls, bars and food stands. The ever-popular ice rink opens on George Street the following Friday, 22 November, and an illuminated Christmas Tree Maze, one of the largest of its kind in the UK, opens in St Andrew Square on Saturday, 23 November. Another highlight is likely to be the Polar Ice Bar, complete with ice sculptures, which opens on George Street on Monday, 25 November.

Residents’ discount: Don’t forget, anyone with an EH postcode gets a 20% discount on all the rides and attractions at the Christmas Markets, including the Big Wheel, Ice Rink and Christmas Tree Maze. All you need to do is register online with an eligible postal address or take proof of address to an on-site box office or ticket staff at the rides.

Hate the crowds? The market is expanding across the railway line this year with some stalls in the section of East Princes Street Gardens below the Castle. The idea is to spread out the stalls and create more space to ease the flow of visitors through the site, as well as hopefully alleviating the big queues on Waverley Bridge on the busy weekends nearer Christmas.

Love the crowds? The estimated £150m-plus extra spending the Christmas Markets generate will be welcomed as much as ever by the city’s hospitality and retail trade. They are counting the cost of hikes in employment taxes in last month’s budget, after a year of rising costs and squeezed consumer spending. Only tourists flocking back to the city post-Covid has seen Edinburgh escape the high level of venue closures being seen in many parts of the country.

If you’re interested in tourism and it’s impact on the city, don’t miss tomorrow’s exclusive members-only newsletter for Jolene Campbell’s report from the Cockburn Association conference on Responsible Tourism in the Capital.

YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING

UNI SNOB ROW: Edinburgh University has issued guidance to students after complaints of Scottish students suffering ridicule and discrimination, such as mocking of their accents. Responding to complaints from the recently-formed Scottish Social Mobility Society, the university has issued advice to students, including: “Don’t be a snob…when you meet new people be curious about their interests and aspirations rather than their backgrounds.” A University spokesperson said it “works hard to create an environment that eliminates discrimination and allows all of our students to have the best experience possible during their studies.”

WARM WINTER: Temperatures have reached as high as 12C in Edinburgh this November compared to the normal seasonal high of 9C, according to the Met Office. Scientists at the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service say this year is almost certain to be the hottest year on record, with temperatures 0.16C higher so far this year than during the same period in 2023 - the hottest year to date.

GODLEY’S CITY FAREWELL: The hearse of comedian Janey Godley is to travel through Edinburgh in a tribute to her “beloved festival home” ahead of her funeral in Glasgow. Her daughter, Ashley Storrie, said the hearse would visit the Capital on 29 November, the day before her funeral at Glasgow’s St Mary’s Cathedral, in a “final tour” of Scotland. Goldley died on 2 November aged 63 after receiving palliative care for terminal cancer.

BUS PASS: A former senior UK Government transport advisor has been refused a position on the board of Lothian Buses, the council-owned bus company. Peter Strachan previously served as the UK Government’s Director General of Major Projects and London. Councillors blocked his appointment due to concerns over his involvement with transport company Tie which has been heavily criticised for its role in the construction of the city’s tram line.

NO GULL CULL: A plea to make it easier to control the city’s “menacing” seagull population has been rejected after the RSPB raised concerns about the serious decline in certain gull species.

BOY CHARGED: A 13-year-old boy has been charged over a wrecking spree which caused £20,000 worth of damage to vehicles at a car showroom in Sighthill on Bonfire Night. Two men, aged 38 and 40, have also been charged over separate incidents during a night of widespread disorder across the city.

TAP ROOM CLOSURE: Sour beer specialists Vault City have blamed “significant headwinds for the hospitality sector” as they confirmed the closure of their tap room in Portobello. The brewery is moving its headquarters from Portobello to Midlothian as part of a significant expansion of its beer-making operation.

SURVEY IN HOUSE: An online survey has been launched by Edinburgh-based Collectiveselfbuild.substack.com. seeking people’s views of ‘rightsizing’ - often called ‘downsizing’. The aim is to gauge the appetite for housing designed to resident specifications - including environmental standards, security, energy efficiency and sharing resources - even if it means slightly smaller properties. It ends on November 25 and can be found here.

COUNCIL CASH: Cosla, the umbrella group representing Scotland’s local councils, is calling on the Scottish Government to pass on the extra funding it will receive as a result of the UK Budget. The Accounts Commission is projecting a funding gap of just short of £400m for the country’s local authorities, with Edinburgh council leader Cammy Day warning the Capital is the worst funded in Scotland per head of population.

THE BUSINESS

Hotel demand continues to dominate development at expense of offices

The redevelopment of office buildings to use as hotels in Edinburgh continues apace.

An application has been lodged with the city council to convert empty office block Edinburgh One into a 4-star Clayton hotel, under the Dalata Hotel Group brand. Planning permission had previously been obtained to convert the building into 88,000 sq ft of Grade A office space.

The proposal is to create a hotel with 250-275 beds, with a restaurant and bar at ground level and also accommodating a gym and business centre. The developers maintain it represents a major investment in the city and will boost the local economy, providing for both leisure and business visitors.

Previously it had been planned to extend the building by two storeys to create the top grade office space, which continues to be in short supply in the city.

CREST OF A WAVE: The spectacular Lost Shore Surf Resort at Ratho opens today. The £60 million visitor attraction has Europe’s largest wave pool, equivalent in size to three Wembley football pitches, as well as accommodation, bar, restaurants, surf school and shop, sauna and wellness treatment.

It is expected to welcome around 160,000 people a year, contributing £11 million to the local economy and creating more than 130 jobs.

NEW CHAIR: Scotland Food & Drink, the national industry leadership organisation dedicated to driving the sustainable growth of Scotland’s food and drink businesses has announced Pamela Scott, a former Global Excellence Director at drinks giant Diageo, as its new Chair. Her other board roles have included Donaldson Timber Group and Big Hearts Trust

MORPH TO COSTUME SUCCESS: AFG Media, owners of Edinburgh-headquartered MorphCostumes and its distinctive fancy dress Morphsuits, which utilise Nasa technology, has seen a successful exit by investor BGF, one of the biggest growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland. BGF confirmed it had made “strong returns” on selling its initial £4.2 million stake share back to the management and wider AFG Media team after 12 years of working together. MorphCostumes has grown to a turnover of £42 million last year and now employs 68 staff.

ON COURSE FOR SUCCESS: Edinburgh Napier University has been accredited by The Institute of Hospitality, a leading industry body for degree courses in international hospitality, festival and event, and tourism management. The university is one of 50 around the world accredited for the quality of their courses.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

WITHOUT ROMEO: With a playlist featuring Britney Spear’s Baby One More Time and Katy Perry’s Roar, & Juliet uses Shakespeare’s timeless love story as a jumping off point for the heroine to grab a second chance at life. Created by the Emmy-winning writer of Schitt’s Creek, David West Read, the uproarious new musical comes to the Playhouse from Tuesday to Saturday.

KING OVER THE WATER: Fife’s finest King Creosote marks the release of his new album I Des with a visit to the Usher Hall on Saturday night. I Des sees the East Neuk songsmith revive his collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and co-producer Derek O’Neill.

FLEA MARKET: Search for vintage and retro treasure at The Big Edinburgh Flea Market. From fashion to furniture, independent sellers to industrial salvage, there’s plenty to explore at the Pitt Market, West Shore Road, Granton, on Saturday, 11am-4pm.

QUICK BITES

SLICE OF HISTORY: It's not too often a restaurateur’s retirement prompts a visit from the city’s civic leadership. That’s what happened when Gordon Scott, owner of the popular Gordon’s Trattoria in the Royal Mile, spent his last day at work. Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Council leader Cammy Day presented him with an award to mark his 43 years of service to the industry and the community.

DULSE GROWS: Seafood restaurant Dulse by Dean Banks will open its second location on Wednesday. The new premises at the site of ASKR in Constitution Street, Leith, follows the success of the first Dulse in Queensferry Street in the Capital’s West End