A SCOTTISH Christmas market has been named among the most festive in Europe.
As the big day approaches, many of us will be looking to get into the spirit by planning a long weekend away.
Fashion retailer FatFace found that UK Google searches for ‘Christmas market’ are up 359% compared to last quarter.
They revealed Europe’s most festive one based on its popularity at this time of year, the probability of snowfall and how Instagrammable the market is.
The team analysed the probability of snow during November and December, the average number of snow days, how many Instagram hashtags each market has, how many estimated visitors and the flight demand change over this period.
Open Meteo was used to source the weather data and a weighted rank was created to give each market an overall festivity score out of 100.
Set against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Innsbruck in Austria is in first place as the most festive market.
The picturesque city received a festivity score of 95 out of 100 based on a 46% chance of snow, equating to 13.7 snow days per month.
Tallinn in Estonia is in second place with a total score of 89 out of 100. The market which is based in the capital city has a 40% chance of snow, 5,000 Instagram hashtags, and a flight demand increase of 28%.
In third place is Helsinki in Finland which is closer to Lapland than any other city in the top 10. This Christmas market has a 39% chance of snow per day, meaning it’s likely to expect 11.6 days of snow per month.
Edinburgh’s Christmas Market came in at eighth place, with 55,200 Instagram hashtags and an estimated 2,400,000 visitors.
The full ranking of the top 10 festive Christmas markets in Europe is:
- Innsbruck, Austria
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Helsinki, Finland
- Vilnius, Lithuania
- Oslo, Norway
- Riga, Latvia
- Merano, Italy
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Turku, Finland
- Strasbourg, France
The much-loved Edinburgh attraction is set to return this year, and organisers are pulling out all the stops to bring “even more sparkle and joy” to Princes Street Gardens.
The popular market stalls, Christmas Ferris Wheel, StarFlyer, Helter-Skelter and ice rink will all be making their return.
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The latest addition to the event is the Christmas Tree Maze in St Andrews Square, where families can “lose themselves” among 450 illuminated Christmas trees.
And youngsters will also have the exciting chance to meet Santa himself.
Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker said: “Edinburgh at Christmas is a magical experience, and it’s exciting to be announcing such a varied programme of events and attractions for 2024. We will see the return of many favourites like the Traditional Christmas Market, Santa Stories, and Big Wheel, as well as a brand-new Christmas Tree Maze in St Andrew Square!
“We want Edinburgh’s Christmas to be a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone, and this packed programme has something for families and Christmas enthusiasts of all ages. We are especially proud of the opportunities it affords to raise funds for local charities. The free tickets donated to charities and community groups will help spread Christmas joy across the capital. We’re also looking forward to supporting other events in communities across the city.”
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Elsewhere, an enchanting Christmas market with pantomime performances, a festive ride and Santa’s grotto is set to return to a town near Glasgow.
The picturesque venue is the ideal spot for a winter wonderland – situated between beautiful woodland walks and stunning waterfalls.
