Tag Archives: Edinburgh’s Christmas

Dancing on George Street to Silent Light

Edinburgh’s Christmas Silent Light brings together two great ideas – a sparkly light installation and a silent disco!

On Monday evening I found myself dancing through George Street with Mrs Sketcher and around a hundred other revellers grooving to Christmas tunes whilst 60,000 lights above my head flashed to the music.

There are up to five Silent Light shows a day, each 20 minutes long. We enjoyed the Christmas Crackers playlist but there are two others: Santa’s Sparkles, especially suitable for families, and Disco Delights for the party crowd.

Tickets are £4.50 with 50p from every ticket purchased for Silent Light goes to support One City Trust, a charity fighting inequality and exclusion in the city.

I really enjoyed the experience, dancing away on the cobbles with wireless earphones tuned into festive tunes. I surprisingly forgot I was outside in the middle of Edinburgh’s city centre. Grab a ticket now and go with your friends or family, and be sure to have a dance.

I will be returning with our two kids as I’m sure they will love it – and they serve yummy hot chocolate (as well as a selection of alcoholic drinks) too 😉

The sketch above was drawn in black ink on location and then coloured later.

Book your tickets here at the Edinburgh’s Christmas website

Ice cold Sketching as Edinburgh’s Christmas comes to life

IceAdventure nessie As Edinburgh’s city centre is once again transformed into a magical, colourful and sparkly wonderland for Christmas I visited one of this years highlights on George Street.

There is a huge blue structure at the East end of George Street which is housing some beautiful and very temporary pieces of art, sculptures made of ice kept from melting by a bitterly cold -10degree atmosphere. Life size stags, Vikings and Kelpies line the walk way through a mythical history of Scotland.

I visited as finishing touches were being made to some of the frozen figures and as I quickly removed my gloves to sketch I realised my watercolours were beginning to crystallize!!

IceAdventure horse

Lit  from spotlights all around the watery ice sparkled giving each piece a magical mystical quality, perfect for Nessie.

Tickets can be booked via the link below, do not miss these beautiful sculptures and remember to wrap up warm!

Edinburgh’s Christmas website

This watercolour was drawn in my new ArtGecko sketchbook which combines high quality paper with a hard back cover – perfect for drawing on the go when you don’t have a clipboard to lean on. 

Christmas is building, in Princes Street Gardens

Princes St Gardens building ChristmasThis morning whilst walking from the old to new town I noticed Princes Street Gardens is once again busy becoming a Christmas Wonderland.

On a rainy day in Edinburgh with the leaves still changing from green to orange to red is it perhaps hard to imagine the city in it’s Christmas guise, but the season will soon be here.

If you are in town during the next few days you will notice the transformation taking place ahead of the grand opening on the 17th November. Find out more about all the shows and attractions on over the festive period via the link below.

Edinburgh’s Christmas website

Christmas building 2017 Black

A glimpse of Christmas

LadyStairsCloseEdinburgh city centre is currently bursting with Hogmanay and Christmas decorations, stages are being erected, shows and markets light up the night sky and fill the air with screams of laughter.

 

The Royal Mile remains relatively untouched but take a glimpse through one if its many closes which point down towards the New Town then you can see the sparkling lights below.

 

This sketch is Lady Stair’s Close which leads from the Royal Mile to The Mound,  I love the Victorian lights combined with the touch of Christmas, the big wheel on Princes Street.

 

Have a great Hogmanay folks, wrap up warm and be safe 🙂

Edinburgh’s Christmas, looking splendid

Mound_ChristmasThe weather outside may be frightful but there are beautiful glimpses of the capital at Christmas around every corner.

Yesterday was mixed weather wise to say the least. As I walked from west to south and then east before back to the west I was soaked, shone on and treated to some amazing dark skies with strong sun lit architecture making for stunning views of Edinburgh in the winter.

 

I kept stopping, unable to pass before I had either sketched, or snapped a wee photo to sketch from later. This view is from the bottom of the Mound looking across the square in front of the National Gallery towards Princes Street and the Scott Monument.

 

I’m a big fan of Edinburgh’s Christmas make over and love the views that combine those permanent city monuments and buildings with those features that are here for a just short period of time. Have a great weekend everyone and Merry Christmas.

 

Edinburgh’s Christmas website.

 

Christmas views from the Mercure Hotel on Princes Street

Mercure_BigWheelAt a meeting with the Mercure hotels on Princes Street this week I noticed just how close the hotel is to the Big Wheel.

I am currently in discussions with the Mercure Hotel in Princes Street about supplying my EdinburghSketcher cushions for their newly refurbished rooms, more of which I will tell you about soon. But while there I noticed what a great view they have of not only Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street but also the Christmas festival and the huge Big Wheel.

 

My sketch is from their dinning room where they take Christmas lunch and dinner bookings, I will definitely be back for a little people watching!!  It’s a quick sketch in black ink with a rough watercolour wash.

 

Mercure Hotel website

 

Edinburgh’s Christmas big launch

StarGazer_ScottMonument

Final preparations were being made to Edinburgh’s Christmas festivities when I passed by earlier today.

The Christmas markets, rides and other festive attractions open at 5pm tonight across the city centre and crowds were being to gather on Princes Street as I doodled.

 

The sketch shows the star gazer ride, this year situated right next to the Scott Monument and overlooking the ice rink below. Will you be brave enough to take to the skies tonight?

 

Personally I’m looking forward to the mulled wine and trying not to fall over on the ice rink. Oh yes, Christmas has arrived in Edinburgh.

Weeeeee! The Star Flyer in Edinburgh’s Christmas

StarFlyerThis is the closest I have so far been to the new for Christmas 2013 ‘Star Flyer’ ride currently spinning thrill seekers high above the Edinburgh skyline in St Andrews Square.

 

Standing beneath the almost 60 metre high tower I imagine the view of the city must be truly unique. One I have yet to witness, but there is still time as the attraction will be up until the 5th January.

 

Have you been brave enough and if so what did you think, worth the £7.50 ticket?