The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me
Gaudete, Christus est natus
Listen to this playlist on Spotify — search for
We asked what Christmas film would you give The Muppet Christmas Carol treatment to?
Jamie Dunn
Film Editor, Online Journalist
"The best Christmas films are always the depressing ones sprinkled with a dusting of hope, so let’s say The Apartment. Kermit is Baxter, Miss Pi y is Miss Kublik, Gonzo is the cad boss and Fozzie is the mensch doctor next door."
Ellie Robertson
Digital Editorial Assistant
"The Nightmare Before Christmas - no humans, muppets versus models, total claymation bloodbath."
Phoebe Willison Designer
"The Skinny Christmas party (I'm Miss Pi y)."
Rosamund West
Editor-in-Chief
"A Castle for Christmas - Brooke Shields is played by Miss Pi y, obviously, her daughter by Rizzo the Rat and her ex-husband by, plot twist, Kermit the Frog. The Duke, her true love, is actually played by The Great Gonzo."
Dalila D'Amico
Art Director, Production Manager
"Die Hard – Kermit as John McClane, Miss Pi y as Holly Gennaro, Gonzo as Hans Gruber, and Rizzo plays all the unfortunate henchmen who get tossed out windows."
Ema Smekalova
Media Sales Executive
"Soviet Christmas classic Jack Frost (1964). This film is fucking unhinged and I just thought the muppets would enjoy that."
Anahit Behrooz Events Editor, Books Editor "Eyes Wide Shut. Tom Cruise fucks a muppet."
Tallah Brash
Music Editor
"Not a film, but Merry Christmas, Mr Bean. Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem would take the spot of the Salvation Army band, and I'd love to see Miss Pi y's fury at Mr Bean's thoughtless gift."
Sandy Park Commercial Director
"Home Alone. Kate McCallister bellowing KERMIT through an airport, Kermit terrorising burglars. Writes itself."
Emilie Roberts Media Sales Executive
"The Holiday - Jack Black and Cameron Diaz stay the same. Kate Winslet is replaced with Miss Pi y. Pepe the King Prawn replaces Jude Law."
Laurie Presswood
General Manager
"Violent Night - Beaker is a burgler, Miss Pi y is Santa"
Peter Simpson
Deputy Editor, Food & Drink Editor
"Muppets Miracle on 34th Street, in which Richard Attenborough is trying to convince everyone that a) he is Santa and b) he is a Muppet."
George Sully
Sales and Brand Strategist
"Gremlins but the Gremlins are played by humans and the humans are played by Muppets."
Gabrielle Loue
Media Sales Executive
"Love Actually, and every couple is one human and one muppet"
Find your nearest copy of our free monthly magazine, The Skinny, here:
Illustration
An advent calendar-style guide to what's on this festive season
Tasty Buns Mince Pie Fest
67 Bread St, Edinburgh, 11 Dec, 4-8pm
Tasty Buns Bakery are well-known for their homemade boozy bakes and for putting unusual spins on the classics. This year, they’re hosting their first ever Mince Pie Fest, and we can’t wait to see what creations baker Louise comes up with! Paired with stalls from a whole host of local makers, you’ll be able to get some Christmas shopping done at the same time.
Lost Map’s Christmas Humbug!
The Traverse, Edinburgh, 14 Dec
Headset Festival
The Mash House, Edinburgh, 20-22 Dec Celebrating ten years of club nights, Headset is throwing a three-day party with over 100 of the most exciting names in the Scottish club scene. They’ll be taking over all four rooms of The Mash House – find the likes of Plantainchipps, Feena, Hu-Sane, Eclair Fifi, Friday Cowboy and discjocelyne on the lineup.
Lost Map is an indie record label run by Pictish Trail from the Isle of Ei , and some of his closest musical pals based on the mainland. Every year they host an end-of-year Christmas party featuring loads of artists from the label with Alabaster DePlume, Afterlands and Susan Bear all playing this year, with all-day, just day or just night tickets available.
Bowhouse Christmas Market Bowhouse, St Monans, 13-15 Dec
There’s nothing like a trip to Fife to visit the Bowhouse Christmas Market in the lead up to the big day. Arrive early for coffee and cake from their exceptional onsite cafe Baern, before browsing the stalls filled with local distillers, cheesemongers, artists and more for that perfect gift. Don’t forget to pop into Futtle either for some organic beers and a browse of their record bins. Bowhouse
Pictish Trail
Plantainchipps
Photo: Matthew Arthur Williams
Photo: Nancy Jesse
Image: courtesy of Bowhouse
Feminist Festive Fayre
Glasgow Women’s Library, Glasgow, 30 Nov, 12pm
Head down to Glasgow Women’s Library for their first ever Feminist Festive Fayre: grab a little tipple of something warm and mulled, before browsing stalls full stalls full of prints, games, T-shirts, books, and journals, including original copies of iconic Women’s Liberation magazine Spare Rib.
Castle of Light
Edinburgh Castle, 22 Nov-4 Jan, various dates
The Muppet Christmas Carol with live orchestra
SEC Armadillo 2 Dec; Usher Hall, 4 Dec
The world’s greatest Christmas film (listen, when they make It’s a Wonderful Life with Rizzo the Rat we can open it back up again) is screening in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, accompanied by a live orchestra for maximum decadent vibes. It’s high art meets… high art.
Back for its fifth year, Edinburgh Castle will once again be transformed after hours with sound, film and immersive light projections covering its medieval walls. Castle of Light bills itself as a chance to explore 900 years of the city’s history within the ‘Defender of the Nation’, and this year even promises a lion in the Great Hall.
Christmas At the Botanics
Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, 21 Nov-30 Dec
Running over 35 nights, Christmas At the Botanics offers a chance to explore the gardens after dark as the pathways are animated by bespoke light installations and sound works. This year promises such sights as floating candles, wildlife and foliage projections, and firework trees shooting bursts of colour between branches.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Reading List T-shirt series
Castle of Light
Photo: Rob McDougall
Photo: Caro Weisse
Photo: Raymond Gubbay and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Hear ye, hear ye! John-Luke Roberts is one of our most favourite funniest humans. We like him so much, in fact, that we awarded him with the inaugural Fringe Legend Award at the Besties back in August. This December, he’s channelling poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer for “a night of ridiculous carousing” at the Monkey Barrel for what he says will be “the perfect, weirdest way to welcome in Crustmas.”
Optimo (Espacio) NYD
Tommy Reilly’s All Star Christmas 9
The Rum Shack, Glasgow, 21 Dec
As you can tell by the title of this, Glasgow singer-songwriter and composer Tommy Reilly is gearing up for his ninth All Star Christmas night. At the time of writing, Reilly is keeping his cards close to his chest on the lineup, but it’s always an absolute cracker. Plus it's a great cause, with proceeds being split between Tiny Changes and Macmillan Cancer.
The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 1 Jan, 11pm Legendary club night Optimo (Espacio) is the place to be this New Year’s Day! So nurse those hangovers, or be smug about not having one, and get down to The Berkeley Suite for an expected night of wild eclecticism as alongside some special guests TBA, JD Twitch and JG Wilkes blend everything from techno to electro and post-punk to Afrobeat, with some expertly chosen pop bangers thrown in.
Port of Leith NYE Party
Port of Leith Distillery, Edinburgh, 9:30pm
The Port of Leith Distillery is Scotland’s first vertical distillery, and in its short existence it’s already become an iconic part of Leith’s skyline. Lucky for you, this year the distillery is inviting you to see in the New Year with them, featuring live DJs, a glass of fizz or dram of whisky at midnight, and exquisite views from the distillery’s beautiful top floor bar.
Jupiter Artland, Wilkieston, nr Edinburgh, 7 & 8 Dec
The already beautiful surrounds of Edinburgh’s weird and wacky sculpture garden Jupiter Artland is transformed into a veritable winter wonderland over a December weekend, with a Christmas market filled with artisan stalls, creative workshops, festive donkeys and even the big man himself.
Leith Witchcraft Market: Yule Leith Arches, Edinburgh, 14 Dec
SPOT Design Market
Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, 30 Nov & 1 Dec, 11am
SPOT specialise in curating design-led events that feature work at a slightly a higher price than typical craft market. This is their first ever event in Edinburgh – the full makers list is still TBA so keep an eye on their socials @spotdesignmarket
The Leith Witchcraft Markets have become a staple of the (pagan) calendar, bringing a dose of magic to Leith Arches every few weeks. Their Yule edition is the perfect place to pick up some gifts – everything from handmade potions and lotions to jewellery, prints and soaps – or even get your fortune read.
Edinburgh Santa Run
West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 8 Dec, 11am
Not much says ‘Christmas’ like watching hundreds of people dressed up as Santa Claus running laps around Princes Street Gardens. Edinburgh’s Santa Run isn’t only a fun festive day out for the family, but it also helps raise much-needed funds for children’s charity When You Wish Upon a Star.
Jupiter Christmas
Dook Soap
Leith Witchcraft Market: Yule
Photo: Jupiter Artland
Photo: Murray Orr
Image: courtesy of Leith Witchcraft Market
Alchemy Festive Markets
157 Byres Rd, Glasgow, 30 Nov-15 Dec
If you’re looking for beautiful gifts made locally, make your way to The Alchemy Experiment, who are once again hosting a rolling selection of local artists and makers every Saturday and Sunday at their Byres Road coffee shop and gallery space leading up to Christmas. Keep your eyes on Alchemy’s Instagram to see who’ll be selling their wares each week @thealchemyexperiment
Winter Design Workshops
V&A, Dundee, various dates until 15 Dec
CRAFTED: festive market DCA, Dundee, 23-24 Nov
CRAFTED is Dundee Contemporary Arts’ annual festive market that features work from over 40 of the best contemporary makers from across Scotland. Gorgeous jewellery from Syrah Jay and KTNew Jewellery, knitwear from mitchell & black, and a whole host of homewares from the likes of Melankólia, Clay4Clarity, Primitive Woodland Line and loads more will all feature.
In partnership with Tea Green Events, the V&A are hosting a number of creative workshops through November and December. Learn to craft your own one-of-a-kind festive piece with Ruby Coyne from local fashion brand Dreamland, make your own fused glass decorations with designer Kimberley Armstrong or make a festive paper wreath with artist and illustrator Kirsty Currie.
Monteviot Lights 6-22 Dec
Monteviot House and Gardens in the Borders will once again be transformed into a winter wonderland, this year with a Christmas theme.
Photo: @sisisisiyao
CRAFTED
Alchemy Festive Markets
Imagery: courtesy of Monteviot Lights
Monteviot Lights
Winter Makers Market
Fruitmarket, Edinburgh, 8 Dec, 10am
The Fruitmarket’s Winter Makers Market is one of the best, featuring a glut of emerging and established independent makers from across the UK. Illustrators, jewellers, ceramicists, textile makers and more can all
the action transplanted from the Caribbean to the Orkney Isles. Expect sea shanties, cutlasses and many puffins.
Snow White
Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, 27 Nov-31 Dec
Featuring the De’Wharff family’s seven unruly stepchildren, the particularly wild Snow White and Nanny Maria Shut-Yon-Trapp, this year’s festive family show comes from the face of Scottish pantomime, Johnny McKnight. Nanny Maria
be found here, with embroidery and aromatherapy workshops taking place in the upstairs studio throughout the day.
Treasure Island
Lyceum, Edinburgh, 28 Nov-4 Jan
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale is reimagined for this year’s Lyceum festive show. Jim Hawkins is working in North Edinburgh’s finest accommodation for reformed pirates one Christmas Eve when talk turns to reminiscing about their time on the Hispaniola. Adventure ensues, with
discovers the evil Baroness Fantasia
De’Wharff is planning on murdering Snow White – will she be able to save the day and get the children to eat their vegetables? Find out in Stirling.
Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 6-30 Dec; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 8-18 Jan Surely the most Christmassy of ballets,
Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
Photo: Jess Shurte
Snow White
Treasure Island
Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker
Photo: Andy Ros
MOVIE MAGIC
We take a look at some of the iconic film scores set to be performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow and Edinburgh this December
Words: Tallah Brash
In-between Christmas and New Year you rarely know what day of the week it is, you may feel like you’ve been eating leftovers for weeks, and you inevitably spend a lot of time sat on the couch watching classic lm series like Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings. Films like these are synonymous with the season, their fantastical worlds o ering up a bit of much-needed escapism, while their musical scores help heighten the drama, creating some of the most wholly evocative, edge-of-your-seat moments in cinematic history.
Helping bring a bit of structure to those weird in-between days this December, the iconic music from these award-winning lm series and more will be performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
(RSNO). Taking place in the grand surrounds of Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, Music of the Movies: Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Beyond (27 & 28 Dec) and The Music of Zimmer vs Williams (29 & 30 Dec), these are unmissable nights out that deserve a spot in your festive itinerary.
On the rst two nights, the RSNO and chorus will perform cuts from Howard Shore’s score for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as pieces from Iranian-German lm composer Ramin Djawadi’s spinetingling Game of Thrones score. Conducted by Michael Bawtree, the Music of the Movies nights will also feature music from further exhillarating fantasy worlds like The Hobbit, The Witcher,
Dragonheart, The Chronicles of Narnia, How to Train Your Dragon, Avatar and more.
For The Music of Zimmer vs Williams, you’ll get to experience even more award-winning music performed live by the RSNO as they pit two heavyweights of lm score composition – Hans Zimmer and John Williams – against each other, playing classics from celebrated titles like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park, E.T., Harry Potter, Batman and The Dark Knight. Score!
Music of the Movies: Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Beyond, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 27 Dec; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 28 Dec
The Music of Zimmer vs Williams, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 29 Dec; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 30 Dec
DIRECTORY
Christmas is a time for eating, drinking and being merry, and lucky for you, our home cities are full of places to do just that. From holes-in-the-wall to high-end restaurants, exciting cafes to cosy pubs that haven’t changed in decades, the following pages feature rundown of some of our favourites.
We’ve also asked the team for their newfound festive traditions – turns out we find a lot of our Christmas spirit at the cinema, in the pub, and at the club...
BIG BREAKFASTS
It’s the most important meal of the day according to the guy who invented corn flakes, and Scotland is packed with places to fuel up for a day of sightseeing, meeting old pals, or frolicking/fighting through the Christmas Markets…
Ardfern
10-12 Bonnington Rd, Edinburgh
The latest spot from The Little Chartroom team is an all-day treat, but get down early for one of the city’s best breakfast menus. We have three words for you: venison lorne sausage.
The Bach
31 Meadowside, Dundee
A slice of Antipodean cafe culture in the heart of Dundee; excellent brunch options, top-notch coffee, plus imported Australian and New Zealand treats.
Cafe Strange Brew
1082 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow
A much-loved Shawlands brunch spot with great dishes whether you’re a sweet or savoury morning person, and poached e s so reliable you could set your watch by them.
Eastfield
91 Perth Rd, Dundee
One of a spate of great new openings in Dundee, Eastfield is a laidback daytime spot for those moments when you’re split between breakfast, brunch and lunch. Whatever you choose, it’ll be great.
Edinburgh Larder
15 Blackfriars St and 54-56
Morningside Rd, Edinburgh
If you need fuel for your festive fun, a bumper full breakfast from the Edinburgh Larder packed with great local ingredients should be near the top of your list.
Hula
103 West Bow and 94A Fountainbridge, Edinburgh
Head to Hula to get your day off to a flying start. Exciting porridge, fruit-packed smoothie bowls, freshly squeezed juices and pancakes are all on the menu.
Singapore Coffee House
5 Canonmills, Edinburgh
Bringing kopitiam classics to Canonmills, Singapore Coffee House offers a real change of pace from the rest of
Edinburgh’s brunch scene. Look out for their kaya (coconut jam) on toast.
Singl-end
263 Renfrew St and 15 John St, Glasgow
Many e s, multiple homemade bread options and a whole load of interesting brekkie permutations await at Singl-end’s spots in Garnethill and Merchant City.
Scran 239 London Rd, Glasgow
These guys can do it all. Fancy French toast? Gotcha. Exciting e s? Mmm-hmm. A very good breakfast roll? Just tell them what you want, and you’re good to go.
Ardfern
Photo: Sam Christie
Snax Cafe
118 Buccleuch St, Edinburgh
Snax offers great morning rolls, endless breakfast combinations, outside seating for sunny Sunday mornings, and a genuine sense of local history.
QUICK LUNCHES
You need to eat – something substantial, but not too heavy, able to cut through the wind and rain outside and the growing to-do list in your head. Here are some of our favourite lunch spots…
Alby’s
8 Portland Pl and 94 Buccleuch St, Edinburgh Big. Hot. Sandwiches. These things are enormous, packed with great flavours and served on salty, spongy focaccia.
Edinburgh Street Food
Leith St, Edinburgh
Lots of space, loads of choice, an order-to-table system that
actually works – Edinburgh Street Food is a great city centre option.
The Original Mosque
Kitchen & Cafe
50 Potterrow, Edinburgh
It’s been a lunchtime go-to for decades; come to the Mosque Kitchen for brilliant, cheap and absurdly large plates of homemade curry.
Paesano
94 Miller St and 471 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
If you’re in a rush – shopping to do, folk to meet, etc
– Paesano’s the pick. Massive dining rooms, rapid service, delicious pizza, small bill at the end.
Parveen’s Civic House, Glasgow
Parveen’s serve up excellent, affordable plant-based lunches inspired by the flavours of Pakistan. Great food, lively atmosphere, good times.
Parveen’s
Paz Taqueria
64 Thistle St, Edinburgh
You’ll find well-crafted and subtly elevated tacos at Paz, along with cocktails that will send you off in a great mood to finish your Christmas shopping.
Rafa’s
1103 Argyle St, Glasgow
Head down the Hidden Lane just off the Finnieston strip and you’ll probably find a queue for Rafa’s excellent tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Get in the queue. Enjoy.
San Ciro’s
148 Leith Walk, Edinburgh
Top-drawer Neapolitan pizza with some exciting and experimental touches, served at lightning speed.
Sear’s Pizza
8 Chancellor St, Glasgow
The new spot from some of the folk behind much-missed Glasgow pizzeria BAKED, Sear’s is a New York-style joint that’ll do you a slice for £2. Not much more to say really, that’s a good deal.
Shawarma King
113 King St, Glasgow
Sometimes you just want a kebab – a fatty, unctuous boxing glove of bread, meat, spice and some veg if you’re feeling healthy. In these moments, head for Shawarma King.
Ting Thai
Venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh
One of Scotland’s most reliable lunchtime options, Ting Thai serve up cheap, quick and flavour-packed Thai dishes from soups and noodles to small plates.
Image: Parveen’s
BIG DINNERS
The gang’s all here! For those Christmas reunions, big festive celebrations, or the betwixtmas evenings when you can’t be bothered cooking, check out these places…
Agacan
113 Perth Rd, Dundee
The tiled exterior, the colourful interior, the kebab-tastic menu; the Agacan has been this way for years, and long may it continue.
Big Counter
76 Victoria Rd, Glasgow
The Victoria Road ‘dinner
house’ offers a constantly changing menu of sharing plates. Big steaks, whole fish, party time.
Chez Jules
109 Hanover St, Edinburgh
A French institution in Edinburgh’s New Town. Great vibes, genuinely surprising value, and an almost unbeatable location, they don’t make ‘em like Chez Jules any more.
GaGa
566 Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow
This spot from Julie Lin pairs delicious Malaysian-inspired plates with brilliant cocktails.
Gloriosa
1321 Argyle St, Glasgow
Head here for an absolutely brilliant selection of familystyle dishes loaded with Mediterranean influences.
The Kinneuchar Inn
9-11 Main St, Kilconquhar, Fife
Locally-sourced and exciting, elevated food, with a 17th century pub attached? Foodies far and wide rave about the Kinneuchar, and they may well be on to something.
The tapas-style small dishes at Mother India have long been a favourite; grab your pals, order a bunch of stuff, let the sharing begin.
Mowgli Street Food
20 Hanover St, Edinburgh & 78 St Vincent St, Glasgow
If you’re organising a big festive catch-up but can’t bear any more turkey, Mowgli’s Christmas sharing menu is one to watch. Everyone gets a ‘pot luck’ tiffin, so think of it as an extremely tasty Secret Santa.
Muna’s Ethiopian Cuisine
8 Gillespie Pl, Edinburgh
Spicy, funky and ludicrously generous, the Ethiopian home-cooking at Muna’s is an absolute standout. Put together a big sharing plate, grab your injera, and get going.
Sabzi
162 Ferry Rd, Edinburgh
This award-winning familyrun spot serves up brilliant and highly shareable Indian classics from a menu which changes weekly.
Gloriosa
Image: Gloriosa
JOY AT THE TRON
Pantomime at the Tron offers a connection to Glasgow past and present
Words: Rosamund West
Growing up in Glasgow, Tron pantomime was my family panto of choice. Pantomime productions can be a massive cringe or indeed wildly offensive, but the Tron tend to spend the money on commissioning good writing rather than casting, I dunno, Les Dennis. The shows always hit the agreed beats (he’s behind you, sweets chucked at the audience etc) and it became my tween birthday party outing of choice, just around that point when we were maybe a bit too old to go to the panto but still wanted to go to the panto.
In 2022, it was one of the first theatre shows I went to post-lockdown. It had been postponed… twice? Three times? We went to the last matinee of the run, and the wheels were well and truly coming off what I assume had previously been a tight production. The runtime went over by half an hour, an hour, as writer / visionary / Scotland’s reigning dame Johnny McKnight adlibbed to the audience, revelling in the joy of being on stage after such a long time of waiting. He really had it in for one woman who’d come in late, and returned to needling her repeatedly throughout the show. I passed her in the lobby and laughed in her face, before immediately apologising because why am I mocking a total stranger? It’s
OK, she sighed, I deserved it. I overheard her in the bar saying she was late because the ceiling in her kitchen had collapsed.
One of the things I loved most about the show was how deeply rooted in Glasgow it was. As someone who lives in Edinburgh and feels a low level sense of shame about that, it felt incredibly joyful to be back immersed in the
Nov-5 Jan
words, cultural references and petty beefs of the city I grew up in. I didn’t consider how idiosyncratic the specific prejudices against specific areas of the city were until I saw my (east coast born) husband and child being completely baffled by why I was weeping with laughter at someone shit talking Kelvinside. Sad for them.
Peter Panto and the Incredible Stinkerbell Tron Theatre, 22
Photo: John Johnston
te Seba
393-395 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
Beautiful pasta and incredibly warm hospitality – a trip to te Seba is not unlike going to a pal’s for dinner, if your pal was a great cook with an enormous chandelier.
Tipo
110 Hanover St, Edinburgh
Stuart Ralston’s Italianinspired spot is a good shout if you’re getting a bunch of folk together for a festive meal. You’ll find a bright, airy dining room, and a menu loaded with fantastic pasta.
West Side Tavern
162 Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow
If your friends like to share, take ‘em to West Side Tavern in Partick. Jumbo pizzas, classic Italian-American big plates, and a host of NYCinspired cocktails.
FEELING FANCY
‘Tis the season to be fancy, fa la
la la la’, and so on and so forth. Here are a few of our favourite places when we want to step it up a notch: lovely venues, great staff, and chef-led (but never overly cheffy) cooking…
Celentano’s
28-32 Cathedral Sq, Glasgow
Italian-inspired dining in a beautifully restored 19thcentury landmark, with herbs grown in the restaurant garden and an amazing Sunday lunch.
Eleanore
30-31 Albert Pl, Edinburgh
The pared-back sibling of The Little Chartroom and Ardfern, head here for big but refined flavours, and cool Nordic vibes.
Five March
140 Elderslie St, Glasgow
Sharing plates loaded with influences from all over the map, a very trendy dining room, and a parkside location ideal for a post-meal walk.
Hawksmoor
23 W Register St, Edinburgh
Red meat fans, you’re in luck. Head to Hawksmoor for top-notch steaks, great cocktails and the beautiful setting of the former National Bank of Scotland.
Inver
Strathlachlan, Argyll and Bute
A delightful restaurant in stunning surroundings, Inver is also home to some spectacularly chic bothies. Get a visit on your Christmas wish list.
Margo
68 Miller St, Glasgow
It only opened in October, but the hype around Margo is mammoth. Expect a menu loaded with flavours and influences from across Europe and beyond.
Montrose
1-7 Montrose Ter, Edinburgh
Downstairs is the comfy, cosy wine bar, and upstairs is the slightly fancier dining room, but in both cases Montrose serve up smoky, hearty and delicate dishes.
Ox and Finch
920 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
It’s a Finnieston mainstay, and with good reason. Ox and Finch serve up brilliant and varied sharing dishes in trendy surroundings.
The Palmerston
1 Palmerston Pl, Edinburgh
Another great restaurant in a former bank, The Palmerston offers excellent pastries in the morning, and well-considered and homely dishes the rest of the time.
Margo
Image: Margo
Skua
49 St Stephen St, Edinburgh
It’s dark, it’s cosy, and it feels like a real treat – descend into Skua’s Stockbridge basement and you’ll find great drinks and excellent food. Get the fried chicken, you won’t regret it.
Sylvan
20 Woodlands Rd, Glasgow
Sylvan offers a daily-changing menu of vegetarian and vegan treats, with a frankly enormous list of natural wines to pair with whatever’s coming out of the kitchen.
Timberyard
10 Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh
Michelin-starred so you know it’s good, Timberyard offers a beautiful dining room, refined seasonal cooking and a surprisingly chilled vibe.
TREAT TIME
You deserve it. As for what ‘it’ is, take your pick from amazing baking, delightful pastries, and some truly excellent ice cream…
Akara
537 Duke St, Glasgow
Perfectly-formed, beautifullydecorated and quite frankly enormous cakes are one of the hallmarks of Akara in Dennistoun – head here for a slice, or to commission your very own festive cake.
Baern
Bowhouse, nr St Monans, Fife
The Baern counter is filled with cakes, pastries and savoury snacks, all laced with amazing ingredients from the Fife countryside. Well worth the trip.
Sylvan
Photo: Harrison Reid
IT’S A WONDERFUL MOVIE
‘Tis the season to visit GFT and watch Christmas movies – and in Glasgow, one seasonal classic reigns supreme over all others
Words: Jamie Dunn
It’s fair to say that Christmas favourite It’s a Wonderful Life is much adored, but for Glaswegians, this love is approaching obsession. We dig it so much that it’s been the number one box-office attraction at Glasgow Film Theatre for 13 of the last 17 years; only three Best Picture Oscar-winners (The King’s Speech, 2011; Parasite, 2019; and Oppenheimer, 2023) and a Wes Anderson film (The French Dispatch, 2021) brought in more cash in their respective years of release. Not bad for a 78-year-old box office flop!
This popularity can only be explained by people flocking back to see this 1946 classic year after year after year, and I’m one of these devotees.
For me, attending a screening of It’s a Wonderful Life at GFT is as essential an ingredient to Christmas as Quality Streets, mince pies and candy canes, but part of the reason why Frank Capra’s fable has endured is that it’s in no way a sweet confection. The film may have a reputation for sentimentality, but it’s not justified. Its story is a hard-edged one, about a good man (James Stewart’s George Bailey) who’s been worn down by years of personal setbacks and on one particularly miserable Christmas Eve, he
It’s a Wonderful Life Screens at GFT 13-24 Dec. Tickets and info at glasgowfilm.org/christmas
tries to kill himself. He doesn’t succeed, of course: an angel saves him and shows him how much poorer life would have been for the people of his sleepy hometown had he never been born. But it’s the sobering reminder that life can be fucking difficult that makes It’s a Wonderful Life’s feel-good ending hit home all the harder.
There’s a pleasingly eclectic lineup of other Christmas films screening at GFT over Yuletide, like The Muppet Christmas Carol,
Gremlins, Die Hard, Elf, The Bishop’s Wife, Eyes Wide Shut and the recent The Holdovers. All great movies, but none scratch the Christmas itch quite like Capra’s bittersweet story of disappointment and redemption. If you see a man outside the GFT this December running down Rose Street shouting “Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Glasgow Film Theatre!”, you’ll know it’s me, after indulging in too many mulled wines during my umpteenth viewing of this wonderful movie.
Image: courtesy of Park Circus slash Paramount.
COMMUNITY FAIR
There’s community to be found at a queer choir’s Govanhill Christmas market
Words: Ellie Robertson
Ah, local craft fairs, the anti-Temu. It speaks to the power of doing things irl when a simple community hall, function room or gymnasium becomes a bustling bazaar, creators eager to share their wares with the world. Throw some stalls together in December, you’ve got yourself a Christmas market. The Princes Street Gardens Winter Wonderland may have Instagrammable aesthetics and noisy rollercoasters, but you can find creativity, community and collaboration anywhere there’s independent artists looking to make their living face-to-face.
A nostalgic itch was scratched when I attended a winter fair fundraiser thrown by Queer Voices Glasgow, a Southside-based LGBT+ community choir, my first December in Glasgow. Cloistered from the cold in Govanhill Parish Church, it was the busy-but-intimate fete I was familiar with; creators and customers catching up, prams pushed between the stalls. But beside the usual craft fair fare – candies and crocheted goods, decoration-making for the kids, cups of tea on the go – there were also
hand-stitched Tom of Finland throw cushions. Those were tempting, but I only had a few stocking fillers left to get, and my mum probably appreciated the earthenware-style mug I got instead.
My partner and I had portraits done by a cartoonist they hadn’t seen since their art school days together. We sat down more for the chat, but the drawings still hang in our living room. However amusing people found the phallic candles on sale, the choir’s singalongs reminded us all of the true meaning of Christmas – Wham!
Queer Voices Glasgow Craft Fair and Choir Performance, Queen's Park Govanhill Parish Church, 14 Dec, 12-4pm I: @queervoices.glasgow
It’s a laboursome, lonely time of year, made more bitter by scrolling online, slackjawed at shipping fees, denying cookies on every website you browse. Shopping can be just as much of a gift for yourself, and the artists, if you find any of the many Christmas fairs popping up around Scotland this December. They’ve got the kind of cookies you don’t want to turn down.
Image: Company Bakery
Company Bakery
6 Station Rd, Eskmills Rd, Musselburgh
The top-notch sourdough bakery’s new cafe offers brilliant pastries, great coffee and predictably excellent bread, in a space that’s somehow laidback, chill, and enormous.
Cottonrake
497 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
One of Glasgow’s finest bakeries; you’ll need to be quick to get their pastries, cakes and sandwiches, but the rewards are worth it.
Fisher and Donaldson
Stores in Cupar, St Andrews and Dundee
The telephone and antibiotics are great Scottish inventions, but they’re no Fisher and Donaldson fudge doughnut. Squidgy, sugary, absolutely loaded with custard; highly recommended.
La Gelatessa
38 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow
I scream, you scream, etc etc.
A brilliantly modern ice cream shop with fantastic 60sinspired design and great flavours aplenty.
Lannan Bakery
29-35 Hamilton Pl, Edinburgh
Brave the legendary queues on this quiet Stockbridge corner and you just might get your hands on some of Scotland’s best patisserie. Bring gloves. And a book.
Mary’s Milk Bar
19 Grassmarket, Edinburgh
An essential stop for any Edinburgh visitor, Mary’s serves up eclectic, experimental and
exceptional gelato in the shadow of the Castle.
Moo Pie Gelato
26 St Mary’s St, Edinburgh
From their spot off the Royal Mile, Moo Pie specialise in super-creamy and supremely creative gelato, plus amazing hot chocolate in the winter months.
Pasteis Lisboa
280 Byres Rd, Glasgow
Warm yourself up mid-shopping spree with an oven-fresh pastel de nata; crispy, buttery pastry filled with gooey custard can turn the bi est festive frown upside down.
The Pastry Section
86 Raeburn Pl and 143 Great Junction St, Edinburgh
A great scratch bakery with branches in Leith and Stockbridge, head here for a sweet treat when you need a Christmas shopping pick-me-up.
Sicilian Pastry Shop
14-16 Albert St, Edinburgh
If you’re in need of a cream cake or a lunchtime treat this Christmas, the Sicilian Pastry Shop has you covered. Great baking from some Leith legends.
Company Bakery
COFFEE CULTURE
Scotland is home to some truly excellent coffee roasters, building on the work of coffee farmers across Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Here are some of the best places to grab a cup…
Cairngorm Coffee
1 Melville Pl, Edinburgh
A bright corner cafe serving killer toasties and knockout coffee from their top-notch roastery. Super-cool merch as well, if you need something for the caffeine fiend in your life.
Cult Espresso
104 Buccleuch St, Edinburgh
There are few better ways to use your hour-and-a-half of winter daylight than grabbing an excellent flat white from Cult and wandering around the Meadows. Fresh air and a great coffee? Sign us up.
EH9 Espresso
248 Perth Rd and 94 Annfield Rd, Dundee
EH9 are at the forefront of Dundee’s burgeoning coffee scene, opening their second cafe earlier this year. Expect a very good cup of coffee, and look out for commissioned artwork on the side of their Perth Road cafe.
Fortitude Coffee
4 Abbey Mount, 66 Hamilton Pl and 72 Newington Rd, Edinburgh
Fortitude roast some of Edinburgh's very best coffee, their venues are staffed by proper coffee heads, and their sea salt and hazelnut caramel shortbread is one of the very best things you can eat in the city.
Laboratorio Espresso
93 West Nile St, Glasgow
Excellent Italian coffees served from a super-cool coffee bar that’s all wood panels and brushed concrete. Oh, and very nice cannoli.
Mana Coffee
40 Whitehall Cres, Dundee
Location: ideal, literally over the road from the train
station. Vibe: impeccable, all crisp lines and Nordic stylings. Coffee: brilliant.
Ottoman Coffeehouse
73 Berkeley St, Glasgow
A true experience, Ottoman Coffeehouse is the place to go if you want to take your time with your coffee. Every preparation or style you can think of, all under one absolutely fantastic roof.
EH9 Espresso
Image: EH9 Espresso
RSNO CHRISTMAS
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra Christmas concert puts the audience participation into classical music across the country
Words: Laurie Presswood
I’m in my 18th year of attending the RSNO Christmas concert. This is, for me, a deeply serious and spiritual tradition that also happens to feature a lot of cheesy audience participation and a group of adult men who play classical trombone for a living dressing up as penguins. They’ve tried to experiment with the programme over the years, but always come back to the tried and tested formula. For me it’s like watching an episode of a TV show I love so well that I can recite the punchlines along with the actors. During the first half they screen The Snowman, play the music, and
ask a group of 200 children to sit still on stage for half an hour and sing for just three minutes. Then in the second half there’s more action for the choir, more Santa hats, and they might even throw the orchestra a bone and let them play a couple of pieces of serious music.
I have attended in every permutation, across every city, timeslot and concert hall they’re willing to put it on. I can break down the character of each individual audience – the Glasgow matinee is, if you can believe it, pretty
noisy and the punters have a tendency to talk right at the magical moment where the boy and the snowman start running across the garden (I don’t waive anything away but let’s just say that what happens next will shock you). At home in Dundee there’s no matinee – the crowd is a bit older, there’s more of a feeling that people have bought in to being there. But for me being there also means forming part of a community. Sitting alongside the same people who you see and you recognise and will never once in your life speak to, knowing you’re there to sit in the dark, to experience and to share a communion.
RSNO Christmas Concert featuring The Snowman
Caird Hall, Dundee, 20 Dec; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 21 Dec; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 22 Dec
Photo: Drew Farrell
Outlier
OUTLIER
38 London Rd, Glasgow
Got half an hour to kill? Grab a coffee and spend a while watching the baking at OUTLIER unfold in front of you – their sweet and savoury ranges are both excellent, as is the coffee.
The Source
4 Spittal St, Edinburgh
Your favourite coffee shop’s favourite coffee shop. The Source is the place to go for unusual and exciting single origin coffees from around the world – if you have a friend who likes coffee, bring them here.
Spitfire Espresso
127 Candleri s, Glasgow
A reliably excellent flat white is waiting for you at Spitfire, along with a spacious and intriguing cafe to drink it in.
Steampunk Coffee
49A Kirk Ports, North Berwick
A hive of excellent coffee in the seaside East Lothian town, with a bumper outside patio, a record store upstairs, and bags of beans fresh from the on-site roastery.
Unorthodox Roasters
129 High St, Kinross and 12 Friars St, Stirling
Both of Unorthodox’s cafes are lovely, but a special shout-out for Kinross, with its bright blue facade, brilliant food menu, and top-notch coffee. Show us another cafe in Perthshire with a custom-built V60 pour over bar – we’ll wait.
Image: courtesy of Outlier
CHRISTMAS CHEERS
Why Teuchters in Edinburgh’s West End is the perfect pub for a pre-Christmas catch-up with pals
Words: Tallah Brash
Searching ‘Teuchters’ in WhatsApp highlights years' worth of messages planning festive gatherings: “We’ll be in Teuchters from about 2pm on Christmas Eve if you fancy popping in for a pint?”
It’s become tradition for my partner and I to visit Teuchters on Christmas Eve with our best pals. Tucked away on a cobbled street in Edinburgh’s West End, this pub is the perfect spot for a last catch-up and to exchange gifts before we visit familly and loved ones on Christmas Day; often a rotating cast of pals will pop in for one if they’re out and about doing the last of their shopping; friends who no longer live in Edinburgh but are home for the holidays will come find us there after having a wander around the Christmas Market with family.
The space itself is cosy and snug, with all the characteristics you’d expect of a country pub in the middle of nowhere, but smack bang in the centre of town. Low ceilings, dark features, gridded sash windows, exposed stonework, fairy lights all aglow and a real working fireplace – perfect for winter. They’ve a great big food menu too, including all the usual suspects like steak pie, burgers, and ha is,
Teuchters, 26 William St, Edinburgh
neeps and tatties, but it’s the muckle big mugs of chips and mac and cheese that I want; a comforting, no-nonsense start to festive feasting.
teuchtersbar.co.uk
Of course, we’re mostly here for a wee pre-Christmas catch-up and swally with our pals, and Teuchters has a great booze selection with 23 beer taps and 14 single malts. Practically all of their taps
pour local pints, usually with a Santa-themed cask on over Christmas, and their Hoop of Destiny whisky hoopla game offers a unique and fun way to try their whisky offerings, all for the price of a house nip. So this is where you’ll find me on Christmas Eve, mug of chips in one hand, pint of festive ale in the other.
Photo: Rosamund West
PUB TIME
They can be big or small, but a good Scottish pub will always have great beer and a warm welcome. The lighting will be low or extremely high and there will probably be a lot of wood and leather – crack open these doors and you’ll see what we mean…
The Allison Arms
720 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow
The Southside’s liveliest pub – expect an enviable selection of malts and beers, a cracking atmosphere and at least one dog.
The Arlington 130 Woodlands Rd, Glasgow
Ignore the lump of sandstone rumoured to be the Stone of Destiny and enjoy The Arlington’s cool vibes and excellent music.
Athletic Arms
1-3 Angle Park Ter, Edinburgh
Aka ‘the Di ers’, this is a smashing, wedge-shaped bar with a cosy lounge in the back, great cask ales, and a comically long yet extremely affordable whisky list. Oh, and great pies.
Bellfield Brewery
46 Stanley Pl, Edinburgh
Tucked away in the residential gap between Abbeyhill and Meadowbank, this award-winning beer garden and taproom isn’t one you’d just happen across, but once you know it’s there you’ll keep returning. First-class beers, loads of space, and a rotating roster of pop-up food vendors.
Bennets Bar
8 Leven St, Edinburgh
One of Edinburgh’s prettiest
‘old man pubs’, this historic venue features gorgeous original features, maps in the tables (!) and a knockout malt selection.
The Blue Blazer
2 Spittal St, Edinburgh
The dark wood decor and cosy nooks of this two-room pub have stayed steadfast for decades. But why change perfection? This place has great beers, and even better vibes.
The Bow Bar
80 West Bow, Edinburgh
An Old Town classic, The Bow Bar offers great pints and whisky options (there’s over 300 single malts behind the gleaming bar) in a lovely cosy environment.
George IV Bar
54 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
A bumper space with some of the best chips in town and a truly impressive collection of pub mirrors, the George IV is
an ideal spot for a bit of people-watching, or for convening your pals for a Christmas catch-up.
The Hug and Pint
171 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
As well as being among Glasgow’s finest small gig venues, this is a prime spot for chilling with a beer and delicious vegan food.
Inn Deep
445 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
A buzzy craft ale pub with a knockout riverside view, Inn Deep, nestled under Kelvinbridge, is a West End favourite.
Koelschip Yard
686-688 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better selection of indie beers anywhere in Glasgow. One for craft beer connoisseurs.
Athletic Arms
Image: Athletic Arms
The Laurieston
58 Bridge St, Glasgow
From outside: an uninspiring beer den. Inside: a 1960s time capsule and one of the cosiest pubs in town.
Newbarns Taproom
13 Jane St, Edinburgh
This place is timeless, in that it opened about two years ago but feels like it’s been here forever. The home base of the excellent Newbarns Brewery serves a suite of super-fresh lagers and ales brewed on site, along with enormous bags of Swedish crisps.
Old Pal
28 West Maitland St, Edinburgh
One of the newest bars on the block, Old Pal are already bringing the goods in the form of a stellar drinks selection, friendly staff and a creative food menu. The Old Pal Croque will knock your socks off, and their Christmas menu looks like a banger.
Phoenix Bar
103 Nethergate, Dundee
An excellent pub with classic features and some fun idiosyncrasies (massive stained glass windows, pint mugs filled with chips).
The Pot Still
154 Hope St, Glasgow
Home to some excellent pies, a bumper whisky list, and one of the best pints of Guinness in the city centre, The Pot Still is an ideal place to celebrate the end of your Christmas shopping.
Speedwell Bar
165-167 Perth Rd, Dundee
A beautifully-preserved
Edwardian pub with doilies on the tables, great beers on the bar, and legitimately historic toilets. Seriously, check out these toilets. Five stars.
The State
148-148A Holland St, Glasgow
With a huge bar to prop up and a pleasing sense that we aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, The State is just a lovely place to hang out. The platonic ideal of a pub.
Stockbridge Tap
2-6 Raeburn Pl, Edinburgh
After powering around the Stockbridge shops for Christmas presents, take a break at the Tap. A large and well-curated beer list, cosy seating nooks and some outrageously large mirrors await.
AT THE BAR
Pubs are one thing, but bars… well, bars can be anything. Refurbed old drinking dens, experimental cocktail bars, dive bars, gig venues, working distilleries or party palaces covered in soft toys – here are some of our favourites…
Bramble
16A Queen St, Edinburgh
An Edinburgh institution, Bramble is a low-lit basement cocktail joint serving up inspired concoctions and great music. The same team run Lucky Liquor Co down the road at 39A Queen St, with a ground floor bar and near-level access from the street.
Chancho
7 Bernard St, Edinburgh
Tequila! This new agave-forward bar from the folk at Hey Palu (more on them shortly) is a real treat, with
expertly-balanced cocktails and a summery vibe no matter what Leith is throwing at you outside.
Dragonfly
52 West Port, Edinburgh
Opulent gold-edged decor, a great location in the shadow of the castle, and some truly excellent cocktails mark out Dragonfly as a great spot if you’re looking to treat yourself. Go on, you’ve earned it.
Drygate Brewery
85 Drygate, Glasgow
The in-house bar of the eponymous brewery offers a great meeting spot, delicious beers, and a regular programme of live music and stand-up comedy.
The Gate
251 Gallowgate, Glasgow
Just across the road from the Barrowland Ballroom, The Gate is a delight which opens up exciting new frontiers in ‘meeting for a drink before the gig’. Get a brilliant cocktail, monitor the Barras queue from the window, live it up.
Hey Palu
49 Bread St, Edinburgh
Fantastic Italian cocktail bar and perennial topper of ‘best cocktails scotland 2024’-type lists, Hey Palu is brilliant. The bartenders are experts, the vibes are wonderful, the nibbles are amazing and the drinks are hard to fault.
Leith Depot
138-142 Leith Walk, Edinburgh
Three reasons to visit the Depot: 1) Their epic and successful holdout against property developers. 2) Their excellent new gig room. 3) The
lovely, charming bar itself with great food, lovely pints and outside seating for those crisp, dry winter afternoons.
LUNAR
72 Nithsdale Rd, Glasgow
Natural wines, fantastic cocktails, a terrific shade of green on the walls – LUNAR is a delightful Southside cocktail bar.
Mono
12 Kings Court, King St, Glasgow
The beating heart of Trongate’s creative hub, Mono offers a chill atmosphere, ace vegan food, and the occasional gig – plus record shop Monorail Music.
Dragonfly
Photo: Alex Renfrew
JINGLE BELLE
If you want a cosy Christmas evening but also want to get out of the house, you can’t do much better than a trip to The Belle on Great Western Road
Words: Peter Simpson
Ibelieve it was Frosty the Snowman who once said, “Christmasness is next to cosiness.” In this part of the world, the festive season is marked by damp cold, dry cold, big winds and the low, powerful sun that only comes with a sunset in the 4-4.30pm range. And yet, it’s a lovely time of year. The architecture catches the light a bit differently, your breath hits the air and turns into a huge column of steam, and the dark wood and stained glass windows of your local pub morph into a little mullioned cocoon. If your local pub is The Belle, at the Botanics end of Great Western Road, you are a jammy bastard because there are few better places to wile away a winter evening.
In the typical Christmas scenario (pints when you finish up for the holidays, catching up with pals on the 28th, etc), The Belle has everything you want. It’s low-lit and comfy, with a roaring open fire. It is very easy to find (“yep, right at the top of Great Western Road… the one with all the hanging baskets, that’s it”). It’s big enough that you can grab a seat, but small enough that it feels like being in a very
well-stocked living room. The drinks selection is great – excellent wines, really good beers – and the bar snacks are truly exceptional. We’re talking extremely fancy crisps, the Really Good olives, and so, so many nuts. A nice pint by the fire, looking out a fo ed-up window to a
The Belle, 617 Great Western Rd, Glasgow, G12 8HX
freezing night, surrounded by the chatter of friends and with the salinity of a dozen Perello olives coursing through your veins – that’s what Christmas means to me. Other pubs, and brands of olive, are available.
Nauticus
142 Duke St, Edinburgh
Many have tried to marry the vibe of a venerable old pub with the invention of a modern bar, but Nauticus are among the very best. Crisp pints, brilliant cocktails, a warming whisky or a very fancy pie – they can do it all.
Nice N Sleazy
421 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
Live music and raucous club nights in the basement. An extremely long list of White Russian variants at the bar. Pizza if you get hungry. What more could you want?
The Old Hairdresser's
27 Renfield Ln, Glasgow
Artists, assemble! The Old Hairdresser's is a very, very cool two-level bar with an extremely cosy and arty vibe, and a regular calendar of gigs, comedy shows and club nights.
Paradise Palms
41 Lothian St, Edinburgh
With varied DJ and cabaret nights, plus decor that su ests a gay disco on a neon-lit desert island, Palms is a firm favourite.
Pickles
60 Broughton St, Edinburgh
What says ‘I am in the holiday spirit’ quite like a cheeseboard?
Pickles craft some of the best charcuterie and deli boards in town, with a great wine selection running alongside.
Port Of Leith Distillery
11 Whisky Quay, Edinburgh
On the top floor of the monolithic nine-storey distillery is an amazing bar with a well-crafted cocktail list, small plates and panoramic views.
Starbar
1 Northumberland Pl, Edinburgh
Lovely New York dive bar vibes here. The best jukebox in Edinburgh – no question – and a smart wee beer garden at the back.
Stereo
22-28 Renfield Ln, Glasgow
Situated inside a Mackintosh masterwork, this bright, lively bar is a must for lovers of ve ie food, tidy beers and live music.
Strip Joint
956A Argyle St, Glasgow
Your classic bar-meetsrecord-store, Strip Joint is a bumper meeting spot ahead of gigs at SWG3 or the Hydro,
and the record shop does offer the possibility of doing some of your The Old Hairdresser's shopping then *immediately* toasting your success.
Tabac
10 Mitchell Ln, Glasgow
Fresh from celebrating their 10th birthday, Tabac offers a slice of cocktail cool in the heart of Glasgow.
The Ventoux
2 Brougham St, Edinburgh
Fish tanks, bikes on the walls, a huge range of German bottled beers behind the bar – The Ventoux is a super-cool bar at the heart of Tollcross. For a similar vibe in Leith, check out its sibling, The
Paradise Palms
Image: Paradise Palms
IN THE CLUB
The midwinter darkness hides pockets of hedonistic joy
Words: Anahit Behrooz
The Cowgate is glowing and grimy and there’s a freezing rain pelting optimistically bare legs and bare faces. My friends are crowded beneath the ledge of a doorway, passing around a surreptitious drink as people rush by, some nights ending, some only just beginning. Somebody I love is behind the DJ decks, their face cast in a neon glow, looking so utterly like they belong and pulling us along with them, that I can feel the muscles of my heart contract and then grow, like a glitter-soaked Grinch after four shots of tequila. It’s New Year’s Eve and every single queer I know
is stacked five deep at the bar, and I’m holding my friend’s face in my hands and the tipping point of the year feels, for the first time in a long time, like the rush of the future rather than the loss of the past. I wrap a big coat around a small dress and stumble outside to my friend, pulling a lit cigarette from his hand and taking a drag. “I see how it is,” he says.
The festive period has always been oriented around pleasure – overeating, gift-giving, sprawled in front of the third film of the day picked out from the TV guide. But there’s a lethargic wholesomeness to it that has
always felt so out of step with how our lives can be the rest of the time. But out on the streets of the city, drenched in rain and frost and wind and the longest nights of the year, there’s a pursuit of pleasure that is just as hedonistic as the time-honoured traditions, but infinitely less proper. Amidst the crush of the Christmas markets and garish lights of the high street stores, its indecorousness feels subversive, and so impossibly alive – a sparkle in the air that you want to chase and chase. I wish I could capture it; wrap it in brown paper and a bow and give it to everyone I love.
Sneaky Pete's
GIFT GUIDE
We asked the team, as well as a few of our musician pals, for their gift recommendations with an emphasis on supporting local independents, from bookshops to artisanal Ayrshire salt
Words: Ema Smekalova, Dalila D’Amico, Ellie Robertson, Tallah Brash, Rosamund West, Jamie Dunn, Eilidh Akilade, Anahit Behrooz, Phoebe Willison and Peter Simpson
Mount Florida Books
I love Mount Florida Books. Great books, great vibes, and did you know they reinvest their profits into Glasgow’s literary and literacy community!? If you’re scared of picking the wrong book, no problem. Get your pal (or me) a gift card or membership. For only £30 a year, the Mount Floridians membership includes an unlimited 10% discount and a free paperback on your birthday! That’s two in one, baby! [Ema]
1069 Cathcart Rd, Mount Florida, Glasgow mountfloridabooks.com
Inklings – 404 Ink
Subtitled ‘Big ideas to carry in your pocket’, the Inklings series 2024 releases make perfect gifts for your curious loved ones. Recently released titles include Solemates: A History of Our Fetish for Feet by Adam Zmith, Electric Dreams: On Sex Robots and Failed Promises of Capitalism by Heather Parry, or you can pre-order titles like Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex Scene by Xuanlin Tham, due to be published in March. There’s also a whole back catalogue of these small but perfectly formed books, as well as the publishers’ longer reads from Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson’s Victor & Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium to a collection of nature writing, Gathering: Women of Colour on Nature [Rosamund] 404ink.com
FARE
Magazine
Magazines are great gifts. Shocking news, coming from us, but it’s true – a physical object you can pick up and peruse, knowing that if you like it there’s more where that came from, can’t beat it. Glasgow-based food mag FARE is an excellent example, with each issue investigating a city’s food culture. Got a pal
who won’t stop talking about his weekend in Copenhagen? Get him Issue 12. Want to subtly drop a hint about going to Naples? Issue 15. The foodie friend who has everything? Do they have a 192-page, beautifully constructed magazine about Tblisi’s food scene? Issue 6, they’re welcome. [Peter] I: @faremag
Image: courtesy of 404 Ink
Good Press
Good Press is home to all things independently and self-published (and printed beautifully). It’s easy to get lost amid the stacks so, for any experimental text lover, vouchers from £10 are your
best bet. [Eilidh]
31 St Andrews St, Glasgow
The Skinny Subscription
The Skinny subscription is a great gift for anyone who loves culture, arts, and the vibrant scene in Scotland. It’s
perfect for those who want to stay in the loop and support independent journalism. Plus, we often feature local talent and hidden gems, making it basically the best gift for you and your pals. [DD] theskinny.co.uk/subscribe
Good Press
DESIGN
Mud Vessels
As hilarious as the outcomes may be, I don’t think my attempts at DIY gift-giving using air-dry clay are going to cut it anymore. Luckily, Marta’s gorgeous selection of handbuilt ceramics, otherwise known as Mud Vessels, has me covered. Whether it’s a vase, mug, or candlestick, these unique sculptures are guaranteed to bring joy and élégance to your loved ones’ lives. [Ema]
I: @mudvessels
Kilo Papa Studio Mountain Maps
Hand-drawn topographical maps of Scottish mountains, available in monochrome linear or detailed styles or (my favourite) multicoloured. You can buy a print in a range of sizes or now a tea towel. There’s also a design based on a historical map of Palestine, and 100% of all profits from that are donated to Palestinian aid. [Rosamund] kilopapastudio.com
Lunch Concept Store
Lunch Concept is a sustainable, season-less store offering clothing, jewellery and accessories crafted by independent designers worldwide. They emphasise small-batch production and made-to-order pieces, showcasing a blend of minimalist design and quality craftsmanship, ideal for those seeking thoughtful, eco-friendly gifts. [DD] lunchconcept.com
Image: courtesy of Lunch Concept
good story
For clothing and lifestyle gifts for the stylish people in your life, head to good story. Between their beautifully curated store (175 Hyndland Rd, Glasgow) and their website, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Keep an eye out for their pop-up shops, and check out their gender free collection for genderinclusive options. [Phoebe] I: @goodstorystore
Love Cut Silver
Just about everyone I know has a Love Cut Silver piece in their jewellery collection (and, if they don’t, that’s their present sorted). Love Cut Silver offers a range of hand-cut recycled silver – think stamped rings and sea glass necklaces and the most delicate chain bracelets. Gorgeously understated, the pieces add a touch of glamour to any everyday wardrobe. [Eilidh] lovecutsilver.com
Ludovica Perosin
You know how certain art can weave its way into your life in multiple ways, becoming utterly entangled? My friends and I have been exchanging Ludovica Perosin’s dreamy prints for years, without entirely realising we were all fixated by the same artist. She has an online shop where she sells prints and ceramics and is also on the Christmas Market circuit, although for something extra unique, inquire about getting a mural painted directly on your wall – mine is my favourite corner of my flat. [Anahit] ludovicaperosin.co.uk
RISOTTO Riso Club
Subscription
Flood your friends and family’s homes with art with the Riso Club subscription from Glasgow print studio RISOTTO. They get four postcard prints each month from different cities around the world – throw in some clips or drawing pins, and they have their very own rotating art gallery. If you don’t want to commit yourself to the full year (or feel like sending someone 48 artworks would be seen as a dig rather than the great gift it is), individual editions are available on the RISOTTO website. [Peter] I: @risottostudio
Rory Kennedy Prints
Buying art as a Christmas gift is a tricky proposition. I mean, have you seen what some people have hanging on their living room walls? But I’m going to take a punt by recommending the work of Glasgow painter Rory Kennedy, whose depictions of everyday life (buildings, pubs, parties, people, dogs), rendered in high contrast, vivid colours, su est, to me at least, a more cheerful Edward Hopper. Prints start at £25, he has a digital gift card available and if you’re feeling flush, lots of his acrylic-on-canvas originals are on sale too. [Jamie] rorykennedy.com
Wine and Roses, Rory Kennedy
Stephanie Cheong Interchangeable Ring
The ring is in two parts – the metal frame and the rock core, which can be swapped out to create a completely new design. You can buy the rock circles off the shelf or get one cut bespoke using a rock of your own. The circles are the byproduct of Cheong’s Geometric Geology Rings, and the rocks are locally sourced – sustainable and ethical, avoiding the extremely thorny subject of gemstone supply chains, as well as offering a
chance to explore the native geology of Scotland. It’s also an opportunity for a piece of jewellery that is very personal if you, like me, have a large collection of bits of rocks found on mountains and beaches. [Rosamund] stefaniecheong.co.uk
Tartan Blanket Co
There are a number of theories on what makes the ideal Christmas present, but reckon it’s gotta be something the person does want, and would use, but might not
think to get for themselves. TBCo’s blankets fit the bill – they’re comfy and cosy, they add a touch of personality to the dankest letting agentapproved sofa, and they sit at that perfect inflection point of ‘might not quite spend that much on myself’ and ‘very affordable as a joint present we will inevitably borrow’. Buy someone a candle and they’ll be warm for an hour; buy them a blanket, and they’ll be toasty for years. [Peter] I: @wearetbco
Wild Gorse Pottery
Pottery is my go-to when I’m short of gift inspirations (apologies to my loved ones who’ve received a mug from me for the last three years running), but even if it’s unoriginal it’s always pretty special if that mug (or dish, vase, candle holder etc) comes from Wild Gorse. Everything is handmade in the shop, with a gorgeous selection of glazes in shimmering earth tones; the mugs are particularly unusual and incredibly pleasing to hold and drink from. [Jamie] 684 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow wildgorsepottery.com
The Woom Room
The Woom Room is a creative platform and shop based in Glasgow, supporting local artists and offering unique prints, artworks, and crafts. They host workshops and events to foster a vibrant art community, with a shop that features curated pieces by local and emerging artists. [DD] The Barras Market, 244 Gallowgate, Glasgow thewoomroom.com
Stephanie Cheong Interchangeable Ring
Photo: Susan Castillo
Wood Shop
Who says a barrel can’t become a bookshelf? Or a cask can’t be a couch? Wood Shop, an Aberdeenshirebased upcycling company, appropriate tonnes of corporate wood waste for their online range of furniture and home goods. If you can find a better gift for your hard-to-shop-for dad than a guitar stand made from craft beer barrel staves, I’ve not seen it. [Ellie] shopwood.co.uk
EXPERIENCES
All Or Nothing
All Or Nothing are Scotland’s leading aerial dance company and they hold regular classes in Dancebase and Out of the Blue. Even when everything is terrible (and it so frequently is!), there’s something about being upside down in the air that ever so briefly shakes all the bad thoughts out. You can get vouchers directly through their website for both one-off workshops and term-long courses. [Anahit] aerialdance.co.uk
All the Young Nudes: Life Drawing Gift Card
If you know someone who’s itching for a creative outlet but nervous about committing to an extended course where they might feel under pressure to, you know, be good, I recommend getting them some gift cards to attend the Glasgow institution All the Young Nudes. The weekly life drawing club, which takes place in a room above ace City Centre pub Sloans, couldn’t be more
Photo: Jassy Earl
chilled and welcoming. There’s a mix of quick sketching and more focused work throughout the night, and there’s always a banging playlist to draw to. [Jamie] atyn.co.uk
Cal Facialist
For my fellow self care lovers, I would highly recommend a voucher for a facial from Cal Facialist. You’ll find her in Facespace in Kinning Park, in what has to be the most comfortable, peaceful and stylish treatment room in Glasgow. Cal has such a welcoming presence and after a signature facial you’ll leave feeling relaxed and truly glowing! And if that’s not enough, you can treat yourself to a yoga class upstairs at Reset Yoga, or an hour of Shiatsu next door with Natalie at The Health Collective. [Phoebe]
I: @calfacialist
Edinburgh Design School Voucher
This Abbeymount-based ceramics workshop runs short and weekend courses, offering everyone from absolute beginners to more experienced potters the opportunity to hone their skills. Their evening classes are a good way to get through the winter darkness – it was here that I learned I love hand building, fucking hate the wheel. You can buy vouchers for classes or introductory sessions – give the gift of clay. [Rosamund] edinburghdesignschool.co.uk
Hello Art Gift Card
Based at Abbeymount in Edinburgh, Hello Art is rooted
in community and creativity. They run a range of events and workshops all through the year, including Rug Tufting, which I’m desperate to try, which takes place most Saturdays and Sundays.
Classes range from three to six hours, depending on the size of rug you’d like to make and Hello Art will guide you to your dream rug. One Hello Art Gift Card please. [Tallah] helloartuk.com
Cal Facialist
Image: courtesy of Cal Facialist, photo: @alittlerae
FOOD & DRINK
Blackthorn Salt OK, hear me out. Forget chocolates. Forget sweets. Fancy sea salt is the best stocking filler for that foodie in your life. My favourite is Blackthorn, an Ayrshire company that makes their salt using a traditional method that involves trickling west coast seawater through a tower of thorns and letting salt crystals form on the branches. It comes in a beautifully designed box, it lasts ages and makes everything taste better, basically. [Jamie] blackthornsalt.co.uk
Cairngorm Coffee Merch
In Edinburgh we’re super duper spoiled for exceptional coffee roasters and casual spots to enjoy a delicious cup of hot bean juice – the scene is unreal. As well as delicious coffee in-store and bags of delicious beans you can grind and press at home, Cairngorm Coffee Roasters are also very very good at merch. Their ‘Mascot’ tees, screen-printed in Glasgow, are super cute, they’ve loads of lovely sweatshirts, and they sell car air fresheners that smell like coffee – who wouldn’t want that!? [Tallah] cairngorm.coffee
Pilot Beer Club
It’s a beer subscription with a mild aviation theme! There are three different levels – Economy, Business or First Class just like in an aeroplane – and they provide you with different quantities of delicious Pilot beer delivered to your home monthly. There’s
also a range of associated perks, depending on your level, from glassware to brewery access. [Rosamund] pilotbeer.co.uk
Starter Culture tasting events
Glasgow Southside’s Starter Culture is a much-loved cheese and wine miracle.
From orange to fizzy, natural to white – their range of wine-based tasting events promise a very cool night out. Saying that, Starter Culture hampers can be eaten at home in pyjamas, which is also pretty perfect. [Eilidh] 1052 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow wearestarterculture.com
Blackthorn Salt
Image: courtesy of Blackthorn Salt
Tennent’s Socks
I know some would roll their eyes at the very thought of receiving the gift of socks for Christmas. Both Daveed Di s and JD McPherson have sung about their disdain for the festive present, but I am genuinely here for it, and it legit doesn’t feel like Christmas without a new pair. Tennent’s have some lovely new merch including a pair decorated with lots of tiny pints. Yes please. [Tallah] tennents.co.uk/shop/ tennents-t-socks
Torres Black Truffle Potato Crisps
My friend sent me a massive 500g bag of these for my birthday and it was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever been given. I quite literally had truffle crisps for days. Big fan. If anyone reading this is thinking about getting me a gift, please know you can get the massive bags in the fancy Italian shop next to the bus stop. [Rosamund]
Valhalla’s Goat
This independent off-licence is a pit-stop for partygoers,
boasting a bottle for every occasion. Beyond beers and wines, there’s a mead selection of mythological proportions and the widest range of rare whiskies in the West End. Christmas shopping goes down easy with recommendations from the expert staff. Each year I delight a family member with a distillery they’ve never even heard of, and I haven’t even covered the entirety of the Hebrides yet. [Ellie] 449 Great Western Road, Glasgow valhallasgoat.com
MUSIC
For a bit of Scottish music inspiration, for this section, we asked some of our favourite Scottish musicians to pick out some of their Scottish albums of the year – thanks team! Be sure to check out music from the selectors as well as what they’re selecting, and support your local scene!
Independent Record Shop Voucher
Not sure what albums your friends and family are missing from their collections? Treat them to a gift voucher from your favourite independent record shop! Monorail, Some Great Reward, Rubadub and Strip Joint in Glasgow, Thorne Records, Underground
Solu’shn, Good Vibes, VoxBox and Umbrella Vinyl in Edinburgh, and Thirteen Records, Le Freak and Assai in Dundee (and beyond) all sell vouchers in-store and online. Job done. [Tallah]
Thorne Records
Photo: Mark Thorne
Bad With Names by corto.alto
My Scottish artist of the year is corto.alto – I’m a big jazz fan so it’s exciting to see such an interesting and diverse Scottish jazz scene. Both their albums – Bad With Names; 30/108 – fizz with creativity and ideas, and hooks. Fergus McCreadie too – I love his solo records, and live he’s amazing, as are corto.alto.
The Snuts – Millennials, Psweatpants – AM/FM RADIO and Becky Sikasa
– The Writings and the Pictures and the Song. To pick one out of these three is like asking me to pick a favourite sibling. These projects got me through 2024. The Snuts are well renowned for their ability to create amazing bodies of work and I think they took it to another level with this. To be able to watch Psweatpants grow to this point has been amazing, this project shows that well too. Finally, Becky Sikasa!!!!
What do I say, what can I say?! Unbelievable project, unbelievable voice and unbelievable person. [Bemz]
I: @beckysikasa @thesnuts @_psweatpants_
I: @bigbemz1
For Display Purposes Only by Buffet Lunch
Buffet Lunch are true legends of the Edinburgh scene and their 2024 album, For Display Purposes Only, is top-notch. If you like weird guitar riffs,
groovy percussion, ripping basslines, papier-mâché masks, and songs about fish ladders you’re in for a treat. The limited edition riso-printed postcards and digital copies available on their Bandcamp would make an excellent gift for any loved one. Pick up an orange vinyl copy of their last album, The Power of Rocks, while you’re there too! [Bikini Body]
I: @buffetlunchband bikinibody.bandcamp.com
How to Put Your Hat On by Kilgour Kilgour’s album How To Put Your Hat On is a piece of music which evokes deep feeling; I can imagine listening to it on a drive with my dad in the late 90s. The overarching warmth is the accumulation of conversational melodies akin to Ben Howard, paired with a woody, analogue production style reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub. The way the guitar both is played and placed is my favourite aspect; a refreshing spectacle of guitars played at their very best. Retrospectively, I’ve been obsessed with Big Country’s The Crossing. My priority as a music lover is how deeply something makes me feel, even if it is an undefined emotion. [Theo Bleak]
I: @kilgourtheband
I: @theobleak
corto.alto - Bad With Names
Kilgour - How To Put Your Hat On
Buffet Lunch - For Display Purposes Only
Becky Sikasa - The Writings and the Pictures and the Song
OTHER
Birthlink Thrift Shop 2
Looking for something a bit different? An original Sylvanian Families house complete with figures and furniture perhaps? How about a vintage art deco print, or Marilyn Monroe-inspired teapot from 1978? Thrift Shop 2 is not only one of Edinburgh’s oldest charity shops, but also your new go-to for quirky, sometimes slightly cursed, hidden gems. A good last min spot for friends and family that are into Weird Objects (and don’t forget to admire their incredible window displays)! [Ema] 26 Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh
Flowers Vermillion
This is a great wee shop in the Southside of Glasgow, filled with gifts for all ages but especially great for any children in your life. They also make gorgeous dried floral arrangements, which you can chop up with their gorgeous gardening tools and put in their gorgeous vases and then walk around feeling generally gorgeous. [Phoebe] 920 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow flowersvermilion.com
The Gentlemen’s Groom Room
More people’s New Year’s resolution should be to dump that overpriced razorhead
subscription service that one podcaster was shilling. If you’re shopping for a bearded beau (or a moustached mate) the Gentlemen’s Groom Room is a 40+ year-old Dundee institution hawking vintage razors, artisan soaps, colognes, combs, and more. They even offer a shaving quaich – a traditional Scottish drinking vessel reappropriated for lathering foam – which will make any gift-giver into one smooth Secret Santa. [Ellie] 42 Whitehall Cres, Dundee thegentlemansgroomroom.com
Flowers Vermillion
courtesy Flowers Vermillion
SHOP LOCAL
Lost Shore Surf Resort
Lost Shore Surf Resort invites you to The Lost Feast and The Lost Cinema, Edinburgh’s most exciting new Christmas experiences. At The Lost Feast, enjoy a welcome drink by crackling re pits, before heading into their magical dining room for an indulgent woodland-inspired festive meal. Or at The Lost Cinema, take a seat among the trees, sit back and enjoy a classic Christmas lm.
lostshore.com @lostshore
Ragamu n
A unique collection of knitwear from Scotland and beyond alongside clothing in natural bres and a range of gorgeous accessories. Each piece is carefully chosen to be worn and treasured. Ragamu n loves colour, loves wool, loves fairtrade, loves handmade and loves ethical manufacture. Brands include Harley of Scotland, ERIBÉ Knitwear, Greengrove Weavers, Amano Knitwear and Pachamama.
278 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 @ragamu nedin
Collective Gallery
Get set for a creative Christmas with Collective’s carefully curated selection of books, gifts and limited editions inspired by the art, extraordinary buildings, people and heritage that surround us at the contemporary art centre in the City Observatory. Shop unique products from local artists and designers, including Block Design glassware and Oír soap, as well as the fan favourite Edinburgh’s Disgrace sweatshirts.
collective-edinburgh.art/shop @collective_edin
Tea Green Events
Celebrate a decade of Tea Green championing Scotland's creative talent! This winter, explore unique gifts from hundreds of independent creative businesses at iconic venues like V&A Dundee, Kelvingrove Art Gallery, National Galleries of Scotland and Bowhouse. Discover and shop directly with makers in inspiring locations for a stress-free, feel-good festive season supporting local talent!
teagreen.co.uk
Photo:
Vicky Hi inson
Photo:Paul Marr
Image: courtesy of Lost Shore Surf Resort
Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic
Peter Pan @ The King's Theatre
All aboard for Peter Pan, The King’s spectacular 60th anniversary panto! Starring the hilarious Elaine C Smith and Johnny Mac, take your friends and family on a swashbuckling adventure to Neverland they’ll never forget. With an extra week of performances starting from Saturday 23 November, you'll want to book early for Glasgow’s favourite festive tradition – tickets are sailing fast!
atgtickets.com/glasgow
The Craft Pottery
The Craft Pottery is a great day or night activity to get you in the festive mood: paint your Secret Santa a mug; start a tradition with your friends; or create keepsakes for decorating your tree! Keep an eye out for their weekly themed events – there’s something for everyone this Christmas at The Craft Pottery.
thecraftpottery.com @thecraftpottery
Support your local shops and venues this festive season
Woodrow's of Edinburgh
Woodrow’s of Edinburgh, established in 2022, is a brand that produces unique Scotch whisky bottled from single casks that are non-chill ltered and natural colour. "We discover incredible casks and further improve them by enhancing avour and complexity. To achieve this, wood is sourced carefully and paired with the spirit for the best impact." All blending, re-casking and bottling is done in-house and every release is unique.
woodrowswhisky.com @woodrowswhisky
An Independent Zebra
An independent gift, homeware and furniture shop in the heart of Edinburgh’s glorious Stockbridge neighbourhood, An Independent Zebra brings you some of the best makers, artists and designers from across the UK, uniquely curated to make you smile. Shop in store or online.
Photo: Martin Shields Image: courtesy of Woodrow's of Edinburgh
ImageL courtesy of An Independent Zebra
Photo: Jessica Kirke
Soul of Fire
Soul of Fire Artists’ Charcoal is handmade in Scotland using traditional methods and local, sustainable resources. Their charcoal sticks come in all shapes and sizes, re ecting the willow trees they’re made from. And they can be used by anyone, no matter what age or ability, and no matter what project is on the go. Buy yours online today:
soulo re.co.uk
@soulo reartistscharcoal
Strangers Brewing
Local favourites Strangers Brewing create handcrafted, artisan brews on a small farm along Union Canal in Linlithgow. Alongside a great range of traditional Scottish ales and crisp lagers, check out their seasonal specials too – like stout with chillies or a saison with local rhubarb. Grab a mixed case, and look out for their gluten free options, gift sets, and merch.
strangersbrewing.co.uk
@strangersbrew
The Craft Pottery Studio
Embrace the festive season and spark your creativity at The Craft Pottery Studio! Gather your friends for a "bring-your-own-bottle" festive house-making workshop, treat yourself to a pottery wheel session and master a new skill, or plan a private, custom Christmas workshop for you and your colleagues. Join them for a memorable holiday experience lled with creativity and cheer!
thecraftpotterystudio.com @craftpotterystudio
Splatter Art Studio
Unleash your creativity this Christmas with Splatter Art! Gather your loved ones for a fun- lled day of vibrant colours and joyful mess. This unique experience lets you express yourself while creating unforgettable memories together. Perfect for families, friends and couples, it’s a chance to bond, laugh and take home a masterpiece that celebrates your time together. Join them for a splatter-tastic holiday!
splatterartstudio.co.uk @splatterartstudiouk
Photo: Jessica Kirke
Image: Euan Hair
Image: Courtesy of Strangers Brewing
Photo: Jo Edwards
WTF IS HOGMANAY?
Hogmanay is one of Scotland’s bi est and proudest celebrations, with people travelling from around the world to experience the party in person. We take a look at what it is, and what you should do to ring in 2025
Words: Tallah Brash
So what exactly is Hogmanay? In short, it’s the Scots word for the last day of the old year and what we call New Year’s Eve in this part of the world. Any information on its etymological makeup is conflicting, with many vying for a slice of Hogmanay’s origin story, but the important thing to know is that Hogmanay has been a long-running tradition in Scotland since the start of the 17th century, so we’ve been celebrating it for more than 400 years, at least.
Hogmanay, of course, is more than just a word to describe the celebration of the last day of the year – it comes wrapped in years-old traditions, many of which are still followed today, although, as with anything, some have evolved and shapeshifted over the years. As it currently stands, there are five important traditions that many follow in order to shut the door on the past year, and open the door to a new, hopefully more prosperous one.
Fire Rituals
At pagan winter festivals, fire rituals are used to ward off evil spirits, and over the years, fire has become synonymous with Hogmanay, from the fireworks that light up the skies above Edinburgh Castle as the clock strikes midnight, to the huge Fireball Ceremony that takes place in Stonehaven, or Perthshire’s Comrie Flambeaux. Signalling the start of Edinburgh’s
Hogmanay, you’ll also find a Torchlight Procession starting in The Meadows on 29 December.
Singing Auld Lang Syne ‘Should auld acquaintance be
forgot / And never brought to mind? / Should auld acquaintance be forgot? / In the days of auld lang syne’. Auld Lang Syne is a poem by Robert Burns set to a traditional Scots folk melody, and it’s
long been a tradition to sing this after midnight, hand-inhand with those around you, whether they be friends, family, or complete strangers. Despite celebrating the new year ahead, Auld Lang Syne is a song about remembrance.
bring good luck and fortune for the new year ahead. Originally it was preferred that the guest would be a tall, dark and handsome man (insert eye roll here), as they would bring the most luck, with women or those with fair hair best avoided.
Traditionally a gift of coal was given to warm the house, but these days whisky is best.
Food and Drink
There’s lots of food and drink wrapped up in Hogmanay celebrations, from having a dram of whisky at the stroke of midnight, to eating and sharing sweet treats like fruit cake, shortbread or black bun – a type of Scottish fruit cake wrapped in pastry. On New Year’s Day, after an often heavy night, it’s become tradition to soak all of that up with a steak pie and whatever sides you want: potatoes, chips, veg – take your pick.
Loony Dook
First Footing
The first person to enter your home on New Year’s Day is known as a first footer, bringing with them a gift to
Look to any Scottish town or city close to the sea, and on New Year’s Day you’ll find a brave few taking to the cold January waters for a bracing ‘dook’, the Scots word for taking a dip. As well as helping stave off a hangover, it’s another out with the old, in with the new tradition, albeit a wet and very very cold one. If you’re keen to give it a go, be sure to check local forums for organised events and stay safe by reading the guide to open water swimming on the RNLI website: rnli.org
Edinburgh's Hogmanay
Photo: Keith Valentine
NYE PARTY STARTERS
As well as all of those steeped-in-history traditions, Hogmanay is also one of the bi est nights out of the year
In Scotland we get an extra bank holiday on 2 January because we just love to party at Hogmanay. For a lot of people in Edinburgh, the bi est night out of the year starts with Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. Taking place along Princes Street, with a huge fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle at midnight, you likely won’t find a more iconic way to see in the bells. After Pulp and Jarvis Cocker did the honours last year, legendary Scottish band Texas, fronted by charismatic frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri, are back for their third run headlining the epic Concert In the Gardens
Of course, if you’d rather be in the warm, might we su est checking out the New Year Revels Maximum Ceilidh just along the road at Assembly Rooms.
But we’re jumping the gun a bit. The official celebrations in Edinburgh start a little earlier with the aforementioned Torchlight Procession on the 29th, and two major Night Afore events on the 30th with Edinburghformed rock band Idlewild playing the Assembly Rooms, and travelling disco Hot Dub Time Machine taking over Princes Street Gardens. On the afternoon of the 31st, Stockbridge independent record shop VoxBox are hosting the VoxBox Hogmanay Jamboree, a BYOB, free instore party with live music from Man of
Moon’s Chris Bainbridge, Adam Stafford, Jewel Scheme, Bell Lungs and Meursault. Sneaky Pete’s are hosting a huge Hogmanay Extravaganza at street food spot The Pitt in Granton with live music, a ceilidh, DJs and more. Back in town, with the 5am licence in full flow, big parties like FLY NYE 2025, featuring Luuk van Dijk and
Theo Kottis at The Caves, and Samedia Shebeen’s Hogmanay Tropical Soundclash with DJ Rizwan and West African rhythms from Edinburgh-based Samba Sene & Diwan, are good places to start, but keep your eyes peeled for parties at spots like Sneaky Pete’s, The Bongo Club, The Liquid Room, Cabaret Voltaire, The Mash
Samedia Shebeen
Photo: @recompo.se
House and more. The Old Town is where it’s at in Edinburgh.
In Glasgow, the big one to get in the diary is the Ashton Lane Hogmanay Street Party which welcomes 3000 people to the lane for a
night of live music, DJs, food stalls and more. Meanwhile, Saint Luke’s are throwing a retro night of 60s music and beyond to help you see in the new year, EXIT have confirmed that a Hogmanay party will take place at their gaff,
while SWG3 will host PRTY’s NRG NYE Special featuring 999999999, Cadzow, Dken and more across their Galvanizers and TV Studio spaces. For alcohol-free clubbing, look no further than Good Clean Fun’s NYE Warehouse Party at Strange Field featuring David Barbarossa, Queer History of Dance Music and more.
Nearer the time, be sure to check in with clubbing hotspots like Sub Club, Stereo, and La Cheetah, while in Dundee head for the Hogmanay Hootenanny at Duck Slattery’s, and keep your eyes peeled on venues like Church and Clarks On Lindsay Street.
With that extra bank holiday, Hogmanay celebrations lean with full force into the 1st. In Edinburgh, official celebrations continue with First Footin’, a bunch of free shows featuring the likes of Karine Polwart at St Giles Cathedral and artists like Dead Pony, Zoe Graham and Spyres at other venues across the city. There’s a New Year’s Day Party at Leith Arches featuring sets from Glasgow DJ and producer Hayley Zalassi, with support from SWATT TEAM and DISCO TITS, and Vitamin C takes to Portobello Town Hall with live music from The Vaselines, Sacred Paws and a DJ set from Django Django. In Glasgow, head for the EXIT x Healthy New Year’s Day party at EXIT, or join legendary party starters Optimo (Espacio) for their massive genre-agnostic New Year’s Day party at The Berkeley Suite, with special guests TBA.
Ashton Lane
Photo: Stergios K
Compiled by George Sully
2. Not at work (3)
4. Bitter – Cardi (anag) (5)
7. When we're given the drummers (drumming) (7,3)
10. Fireplace (6)
13. Ooze (3)
14. Ran a mag (anag) (7)
15. Bible books (7)
21. Lug rarely (anag) – often (9)
22. Where many celebrate Christmas by eating KFC (5)
25. Papa Yuletide (5) 28. Concealed (3) 29. Church bench – laser noise (3)
1. Pointy-eared helper (3)
People from Orkney (9)
___ of New York – song by The Pogues (9)
Tough (6)
Refrain (6)
Ew (anag) (2)
Lap (3)
Branch (3)
12. Thanks (informal) (2)
16. Big ol' church piano with hella pipes (5)
17. Chum (3)
18. There were ten of them a-leaping (5)
19. Give a gift a papery disguise (4)
20. Religious song (4)
23. "___ a partridge in a pear tree!" (3)
24. Car repair company – group therapy (2)
26. Commercial (2)
27. Where you typically put the star on a tree (3)
