Edinburgh traffic: Drivers facing severe delays in Edinburgh as Christmas traffic builds across city - including on M90 and at Fort Kinnaird

Traffic building across city as many head home for Christmas and finish last-minute shopping

Drivers in Edinburgh are facing severe delays as many across the city make a last minute dash for gifts and begin their journeys home for the Christmas weekend.

Traffic is building in several parts of the city, with the worst affected roads being those in and out of Fort Kinnaird shopping centre. Queues have been moving slowly since before 12pm, with drivers facing delays of around 15 minutes. The AA Route Planner has cited Christmas shopping traffic as the cause.

Similar waiting times are being experienced by drivers on the A90, M9 and M90, with reported delays of 12 minutes or more. The average speed in the area is 15mph.

Drivers in Edinburgh are facing severe delays (photo: Adobe)

Tailbacks have also been reported in the Stenhouse area of the Capital, as many make their way home for Christmas. Traffic is moving slowly on the road leading to the Hermiston Gait roundabout, with temporary traffic lights causing further delays.

Journeys through the Corstorphine area are taking around seven minutes longer than usual, with traffic building on the A8 St John’s Road between Pinkhill and Drum Brae South. According to The AA, the average speed in that area is around 5mph.

Reporting the traffic chaos on Twitter, Edinburgh Travel News said: “Traffic's really busy right across Edinburgh and as you might reasonably expect, retail areas are particularly popular.

Unless you're walking or cycling, your journey will almost certainly take longer than usual today.”