Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on Our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the Yule-tide gay From now on Our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days Happy golden days of yore Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us once more
Through the years
We all will be together
If the fates allow
From now on, we'll have to muddle through somehow
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'
While I appreciate the numerous singers who are known for singing the song ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, I am always particularly touched by Judy Garland’s poignant, original version from the song’s debut in the film, ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ (1944). There’s a tinge of melancholy to it, but the overriding message is one of hope.
It seems especially needed during times like this when many are struggling this winter and holiday season. Therefore, continuing on with the theme of ‘hope’, I thought it would be nice to share with all of you a wee bit of the seasonal beauty that you can find in Edinburgh right now. Hopefully, it will allow you a moment to relax, take a breath, and enjoy some of the holiday cheer that Scotland’s capital city has to offer.
While holiday lights and decorations are best known to shine bright and true during the long nights, they also bask in the magnificent Scottish winter sun.
We enjoyed a serene sunset with spectacular views of the Edinburgh Christmas Market, Scott Monument, Scottish National Gallery, and Edinburgh Castle from the big Ferris Wheel in the Christmas Market.
Of course, there is always something extra special about the holiday season while walking around Edinburgh at night. The historic Bank of Scotland Head Office building leads- home to the Museum on the Mound- leads the way lit up in festive colours with a magnificent moon in the background.
Colourful projections light up the façade of Edinburgh Castle for this year's 'Castle of Light' event (you can read about our visits to past shows including its debut in 2019 as well as last year's).
Even though we provide walking tours of Edinburgh, we especially love to head out this time of year at night on 'explore and discover' missions around the city to see what surprises we can find.
Our Golden Retriever tour guide, Sawyer, shared his holiday spirit dressed as Santa during his visit to the Coca-Cola holiday truck.
This year, Coca-Cola teamed up with FareShare to provide meals for those in need. Therefore, in keeping with our theme of ‘hope’, we were quite happy to support such a worthy cause.
Moving inside, some of Edinburgh’s iconic attractions and sites are decked out with lovely decorations that help visitors to celebrate the Yuletide. The tree and garland only add to the classic elegance of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
The Writers' Museum is one of our favourite 'hidden' treasures in Edinburgh. It's currently quite cosy with their Christmas decorations.
The City Art Centre's Christmas tree looks lovely for visitors popping in to warm up and enjoy their fascinating exhibitions. After your visit, don't forget to enjoy a delicious coffee and treat at Mimi's Bakehouse. We thoroughly support their motto- 'Dessert First'!
Well, that is going to do it for this wee exploration of Edinburgh during the holiday season. If you would like to continue on with the celebrations, why not check out our past seasonal posts on Britannia at Christmas and Mary Queen of Scots and Christmas at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The whole Wee Walking Tours family wishes all of you a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy Hogmanay (New Year). We look forward to sharing more of our Scotland adventures with you in 2023!
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
