Outdoor skating rink to be part of Dalkeith Country Park’s WinterFest programme
With Edinburgh’s popular George Street ice rink not returning this Christmas, a nearby country park has announced plans to bring the festive spirit back.
Festive ice skating enthusiasts who thought they may be missing out this Christmas due to the loss of the George Street rink will still be able to get their fix at a nearby alternative at Dalkeith Country Park.
The country park, which is located around 20 minutes from Edinburgh, has announced the return of its WinterFest celebrations, which will include an outdoor Glice skating rink running from Friday, November 27, until Sunday, January 3.
The ice rink will sit beside the park's Orangerie and will offer regular skating sessions alongside special Skate & Shake events throughout the festive period.
Powered by Glice Eco-Rink technology, the skating experience operates without water or energy, offering a more sustainable alternative to traditional ice rinks.
It will also be suitable for children aged five and over.
The rink will officially open on Friday, November 27, as part of a special WinterFest opening night running from 6pm until 9pm.
Visitors will be able to enjoy late-night shopping, festive food and drink, cosy fire pits, s’mores and Meet the Maker stalls, before Santa switches on the Christmas lights at 6.30pm.
There will be plenty of other festive activities on offer, with families able to visit Santa’s Grotto or take part in A Tale with Santa, a storytelling experience in the Christmas Cabin featuring Santa and a singing elf.
Visitors can also enjoy Christmas wreath-making workshops, festive shopping and seasonal food at the park’s Restoration Yard.
Those looking to get into the Christmas spirit can pick up a Nordmann Fir Christmas tree from November 27, while Go Ape will offer its Sundown Adventures after-dark treetop experience throughout the season.
The festive programme will continue with the Santa Sparkle Dash on Sunday, December 13, featuring 1K and 3K runs in aid of the park's charity partner, Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity.
WinterFest will run until Sunday, January 3, with further information and ticket bookings available through Dalkeith Country Park website.
It was announced last month that Edinburgh’s Christmas ice rink has been cancelled this year due to costs fears and uncertainty following a fire that forced the closure of Princes Street over the summer.
The popular attraction, which has been a big hit with locals and visitors for nearly 30 years, was most recently situated at George Street but will not feature in the line-up when the festival gets under way on Saturday, November 14.
Organisers Unique Assembly blamed the cancellation on a lack of funding and uncertainty caused by the closure of Princes Street in July and August following a blaze at the former Debenhams store.
An Edinburgh’s Christmas spokesperson said: “We continually review the programme and listen to feedback from our audiences, partners and businesses as we look at how Edinburgh’s Christmas can evolve from year to year.
“An ice rink requires a great deal of advance planning, with the ice rink supplier, design of structures and site arrangements committed months ahead.
“Those decisions had to be made over the summer, at a time when key parts of the city centre were closed and there was real uncertainty about when Princes Street would reopen and what the knock-on effects would be.
“This, alongside the significant costs of staging a rink in the city centre, with no opportunity for funding support, resulted in us taking the difficult but necessary decision not to present the ice rink on George Street this year.”