Christmas lights will go up in 19 new spots around Edinburgh this year with extra funding available due to event cancellations over Covid

Edinburgh City Council said savings identified in the culture budget due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on festivals and events means there will be festive lights in every ward of the city this year.

It comes after the switch-on of the 2020 Christmas rainbow on the Mound - accompanying the traditional Norwegian tree - last week which pays tribute to frontline workers who have kept the country going through the pandemic.

The new provisions will be used to dress living trees in a number of areas and installations have begun.

Culture and Communities convener, councillor Donald Wilson, said: “This has been a very tough year for all of us and as we now look ahead to a very different Christmas, it’s important to show that Edinburgh’s festive and community spirit is alive and well despite the challenges we’re facing.

The Rainbow has alright been illuminated on The Mound in honour of all frontline workers. Pic: Ian Georgeson

“Along with our usual provision of Christmas lights and trees around the city we’re also making sure that we spread the Christmas sparkle where we can to parts of Edinburgh that have not previously had festive lighting provision and to make sure that is the case for several years. I’m delighted to confirm that from 2020 there will be lights in every ward of the city.

“With this one-off spend we’ll be ensuring all 17 wards have festive lights for around five years – the lifespan of the new lighting.”

There were 15 wards which had Christmas lights before this year but these lights were more sparsely distributed and many needed replacing. The two wards with lights for the first time as part of the new council provision are Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart – Meggetland Bridge – and Craigentinny/Duddingston – Craigentinny Community Centre.

New Christmas lights for 2020 – locations

Rainbow on The Mound

Nativity Scene (East Princes Street Gardens)

Granton

Gracemount

Longstone

Currie

Balerno

Liberton

Sighthill

Oxgangs

Kirk Brae

Craigentinny

Portobello High School

Leith Walk

Duddingston

Meadowbank

Canongate

Leith – Bernard St Bridge

Meggetland Bridge

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