Edinburgh Markets Guide

Stockbridge Market runs every Sunday in Saunders Street car park in Stockbridge, roughly 10am-5pm. It’s been established long enough to have sorted itself out – this isn’t a collection of resellers with cheap imports, it’s proper artisan producers, independent food makers and quality crafts people. The food side is strong: bread from local bakeries, cheese from Scottish producers, charcuterie, fresh pasta, preserves, hot food from various world cuisines for lunch. The craft and gifts section is consistently high quality.

Stockbridge itself is one of Edinburgh’s nicest neighbourhoods for a Sunday morning – independent coffee shops, a Stroll along the Water of Leith, the deli on the main street. The market drops you into all of that and most visitors end up spending longer in the area than they planned. Get there before noon if you want the bread and anything that sells out early. It genuinely is one of the best weekly markets in Scotland.

The Grassmarket below Edinburgh Castle hosts regular market events – the space has a long market history (it was the city’s main livestock and produce market for centuries) and still does periodic farmers’ markets, craft markets and seasonal events. The Edinburgh Farmers’ Market on Castle Terrace (Saturdays) is the city’s dedicated weekly farmers’ market with local producers selling direct. The Grassmarket event schedule varies – check ahead for what’s on when you’re visiting.

Leith Market has operated in various forms around Constitution Street and the Leith docks area. The Saturday market has focused on artisan food and vintage goods – smaller than Stockbridge but with a more local, neighbourhood feel appropriate to Leith’s character. The Leith area’s creative demographic makes for interesting craft stalls. Timings and location have shifted over the years so check current details before making it a specific destination.

Edinburgh’s Christmas Market on Princes Street and around St Andrew Square is one of the UK’s busiest and most atmospheric – though it’s grown to the point where “market” undersells the scale. Running from late November to early January, it combines German-style market stalls with Edinburgh’s Festival Square area. The stalls sell the expected combination of crafts, gifts, mulled wine, food and novelty items. Volume is high and prices are tourist-level, but the setting – Princes Street with the Castle illuminated above – is undeniable.

The Edinburgh Car Boot Sale at various sites including Ingliston provides the budget second-hand end of the market spectrum. For proper vintage and antiques, Armchair Books on West Port and the antique dealers along Causewayside and in the Grassmarket area offer a different, more permanent market culture worth exploring.