Massive crowds gather at Edinburgh Christmas Markets and locals all say the same thing

As the first night of the Edinburgh Christmas Market gets underway, thousands continued to descend into the city centre for the festivities.

Images circulated online showing massive crowds of people surrounding East Princes Street Gardens after the gates opened at 6pm on November 15.

Thousands of people were eager to get into the festive spirit as huge crowds formed while work was still underway on the stalls and attractions.

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Starting at Waverley Bridge, the massive queue snaked around to Princes Street as the crowds slowly moved forward.

However, after videos were shared on social media, locals have all said the same thing claiming the markets are "hell on earth".

One person said: "I love Christmas but Edinburgh Christmas Markets is hell on earth."

Another comment reads: "Too tight an area for the amount of people that attend. Princes Street Gardens are too narrow for it unfortunately."

Another person simply said: "Queuing is the worst thing going."

One local commented; "Truly awful. It's not what Xmas is about and the crowds make me feel nauseous."

Some locals were happy the markets are underway with one person saying: "Despite the comments, it's actually brilliant once the drama of the first few days dies down.

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"Just don't get sucked into the overpriced stalls, enjoy the moment and the atmosphere."

A police officer warned people at Princes Street to stay off the road as the crowds built, forcing many to step onto the road as they made their way through the city centre. Parents with buggies struggled to get past while some tourists were heard debating whether to come back 'tomorrow'.

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In 2023 the queues were described like ‘Disneyland’ style as they were spotted snaking through the streets. Organisers of Edinburgh’s Christmas, Unique Assembly, told Edinburgh Live they are expecting large crowds at peak times, such as the weekend. For those wanting to avoid them is best to pop by at the start of the week.