November in Edinburgh

November is a magical month to be in Edinburgh. There’s still the last of the autumn colour, and by the middle of the month the city is putting on its Christmas lights. Before the festive season gets going, there are festivals, a day of remembrance and St Andrew’s Day to look forward to.

Edinburgh Short Film Festival (every November)

Every November, the festival brings award-winning short films from around the world to Edinburgh, alongside work made in Scotland and in the city itself.

Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair (November, Lighthouse Bookshop)

Lighthouse Bookshop’s annual book fair brings several days of author talks and events, and many of them are filmed if you can’t make it in person.

On Remembrance Sunday, pipes and drums lead a parade from Edinburgh Castle down the Royal Mile to the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers. At 11am the One O’Clock Gun is fired from the castle and the city falls silent for two minutes.

Edinburgh’s Christmas (from mid-November, city centre)

From the middle of November, the Christmas market fills East Princes Street Gardens, with the Big Wheel, the Star Flyer and fairground rides for a view over the rooftops. It runs on into early January.

Christmas at the Botanics (from late November, Royal Botanic Garden)

The Botanics’ illuminated trail returns from late November, leading you through the garden after dark, with festive food and drink along the way.

Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns (from mid-November, Edinburgh Zoo)

The zoo opens after dark for a winter trail of giant illuminated lanterns, running from mid-November through the winter.

The King’s Theatre panto (from late November, King’s Theatre)

Edinburgh’s big family pantomime opens at the end of November and runs through the holidays.

The month closes with St Andrew’s Day on 30 November, Scotland’s national day, and there’s no better excuse for a ceilidh.

Edinburgh’s weekly markets carry on all year, so wrap up and make a morning of one. Edinburgh Farmers’ Market sets up on Castle Terrace under the castle every Saturday morning, with seasonal fruit and veg, locally sourced game and more. The Grassmarket Market runs every Saturday too, with baking, produce and local craftwork, and Leith Market is on Dock Place by the Shore on Saturdays, mostly food with a few local makers. On Sundays, head to Stockbridge Market on Saunders Street for street food and lifestyle stalls.

Edinburgh’s independent bookshops keep up a full programme of author talks, launches and book groups all year. Topping & Company, Lighthouse Bookshop and the Portobello Bookshop on Portobello High Street are the ones to watch, so check their events pages before you travel.