Some places just get Christmas, and Britain is one of them, doing Christmas with enviable variety. December transforms the country, from the biggest cities to the quaintest villages, and even coastlines, into festive wonderlands, with fairy lights skirting medieval streets and the scent of mulled wine drifting out of pub doors. From Highland reindeer herds to teeny coastal villages lit entirely by Christmas lights, these are (some of) the most Christmassy places in Britain.

Edinburgh

Visit for: Festive Gothic drama, world-class markets, Hogmanay build-up

Come late November, Edinburgh sharpens its spires for the crown of British Christmas Capital. The Old Town is already theatrically medieval-looking, but all the stone closes and wynds that have stood for centuries find their true, enchanting purpose, while Princes Street Gardens becomes the epicentre of festivities, hosting one of the UK’s largest Christmas markets. Here you’ll find the ice rink and the much-loved LNER Big Wheel, offering vertiginous views straight up to Edinburgh Castle.

Carol concerts take place in St Giles’ Cathedral and Greyfriars Kirk, and traditional winter recitals take place at Usher Hall. Edinburgh’s long relationship with storytelling and superstition also comes into play, with ghost tours and night walks, when the city feels properly wintry, and surprisingly more Dickensian than London ever does. Still, Christmas in Edinburgh is only the overture to the finale, Hogmanay, as the city edges closer and closer to its world-famous New Year celebrations.

2. York

Visit for: Medieval streets and pubs, traditional markets, Yorkshire pudding

York does Christmas beautifully. The Shambles, already one of the UK’s most photogenic streets (and widely believed to be the real-life inspiration for Rowling’s Diagon Alley), looks absurdly merry and glad once the lights are fixed on the overhanging timber. St Nicholas Christmas Fair spills through Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square with alpine-style chalets and the scent of spiced cider and Yorkshire sausages wrapped in blankets.

When the cold bites, York Minster’s carol services and Advent concerts draw locals and visitors in, and afterwards, most cosy up by a fire in some of the city’s most storied pubs. The Golden Fleece, said to be one of the most haunted pubs in England, serves rich winter ales and classic Christmas plates, while The Blue Bell and Ye Olde Starre Inne are ideal for mulled cider and a warming pie (usually steak and ale, steak and kidney, but there are Yorkshire twists that add ales like Guinness or Hambleton). Of course, all the attention at Christmas is on one thing only — the Yorkshire puddings — so you’re in the right place.

3. The Cotswolds

Visit for: Honey-stone villages, fireside lunches, slow festivity

The Cotswolds is the backdrop to Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie, Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire chronicles and, of course, Jude Law in The Holiday. Come December, places like Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Campden seem to be written solely for the season, with wreaths hanging on ancient doors and church bells carrying cleanly across villages.

Festive markets here are intimate, with Stow-on-the-Wold’s Christmas market feeling old-fashioned, though there are the more elaborate but glorious markets at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. The real Christmas scenes, though, are indoors. The King’s Head in Bledington, The Wild Rabbit near Kingham and The Fox at Oddington, with fires, low beams and menus heavy on roast beef, game and puddings. For winter stays, THE PIG-in-the-Cotswolds is all muddy boots and great suppers, while Estelle Manor brings grand-house glamour and a year-round heated outdoor pool. The old gabled coaching inn, The Double Red Duke, does Christmas cosy like no other.

4. Winchester

Visit for: One of the UK’s best Christmas markets

Winchester Christmas Market regularly tops “best in Britain” lists, and for good reason. Taking residence for a month in the shadow of Winchester Cathedral, its chalets are European in style and quality, selling handcrafted gifts over the novelty tat you’ll find in Winter Wonderland. The cathedral itself is one of the largest in Europe, and its Norman architecture and towering Gothic windows provide the perfect backdrop for the twinkling stalls. It’s also the resting place of Jane Austen (and Alfred the Great for contrast).

Follow the River Itchen as it winds through Winchester, with peaceful paths that are a world away from the Christmas bustle of bigger cities. When it’s time to retreat indoors, Hotel du Vin Winchester sits in a converted historic building close to the cathedral, with stylish rooms and a bar for serious wine-lovers and a delectable menu en français. For classic winter pub vibes, The Wykeham Arms is just opposite the cathedral, with roaring fires and seasonal British cooking. The Bishop on the Bridge has views over the river and a snug feel while you can also dine in a 600-year old grade II listed medieval pub under oak beams.

5. London

Visit for: Big spectacle, lights, shopping

No one does Christmas excess quite like London. From the Oxford Street lights to Covent Garden’s giant baubles and Regent Street’s angels, the city gets festive earlier and earlier. This is the city of Love Actually dashes through Heathrow and Bridget Jones in a reindeer jumper, and by December, it really does feel like a festive film set.

The big lights earn their billing, with Regent Street’s angels, ethereal and timeless, and Covent Garden’s gloriously overblown baubles and hourly ‘snowfall’. But Christmas magic in London is found in the less frequented backroads of Belgravia, where neighbours try to out-do each other's wreaths on front doors (I cycled down Elizabeth Street recently and it felt like a festive rom-com waiting to happen). Marylebone Village offers shopping under twinkling trees, with emptier independent shops and a much more civilised lack of jostling.

People come far and wide for the luxury and timeless Christmas experiences that London has to offer too. Seeing the Claridge’s Christmas tree, reinvented annually by a star designer, is a rite of passage, while The Dorchester, The Connaught and The Ritz go all-in on trees, garlands and champagne-fuelled people-watching. The Rink at Somerset House is the most elegant place for ice-skating in town, while Battersea Power Station provides a more modern setting with shopping, kids’ activities and food-halls.

6. Bakewell

Visit for: Peak District small-town charm

The small Peak District town of Bakewell scales Christmas down to an enjoyable, less-crowded size. Twinkling lights adorn the market square, and the town’s small stalls brim with local produce against the backdrop of stone bridges and rolling hills beyond. Nearby Chatsworth House puts on an extravagant market and stately indoor Christmas décor if you want to venture further.

The pubs are central to the town’s winter appeal. The Castle and The Manners Arms are the best stops for seasonal roasts and pies, and, of course, we can’t forget the almondy Bakewell tarts and puddings at the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop – surely the real reason for any visit here?

7. Bowness-on-Windermere

Visit for: Lakeside winter magic

Bowness-on-Windermere is moody and mysterious in December as the mist drifts over the lake shrouding The Fells that salute the pale winter skies. This is Beatrix Potter country, and winter only heightens the storybook effect. Her legacy is celebrated at The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction in Bowness, which takes on December with seasonal decorations and winter scenes. The town’s Christmas lights and market stalls are refreshingly small-scale, with no commercial riff-raff. Lakeside walks are frosty but essential, as is a scenic cruise for perspective over Windermere’s dark and glassy surface. Festive family activities are on throughout the season at the Windermere Jetty Museum itinerary. The Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa is made for dining with lake views.

8. Bath

Visit for: Georgian Christmas elegance, romantic markets

Bath’s Christmas Market winds around the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey, instantly raising the stakes for winning the city with the most festive charm. Over 170 chalets sell artisan gifts, and tastier indulgences like locally produced cheeses and sweet treats, all framed by the honey-coloured Georgian architecture we all know and love from many a period drama (but mostly Bridgerton recently). The Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s only natural thermal spa, has a rooftop pool, the ultimate way to warm up after market browsing or ice skating in Royal Victoria Park.

The Pump Room, Searcy’s Georgian dining room, is an elegant option for afternoon tea (Jane Austen’s afternoon tea is a big hit), while Clayton’s serves filling roasts and puddings. You can grab choux pastries in the markets but a stop at Sally Lunn’s for the iconic bun is a Christmas rite.

9. Oxford

Visit for: Beautiful buildings, carols, winter walks

By virtue of its history and tradition, the university city of Oxford lends itself naturally to festivities, and when the historic architecture is lit up after dark, all eyes are on the Radcliffe Camera, clearly auditioning itself for a Christmas postcard. Evening carol services echo from some of the world’s most celebrated choirs, Magdalen, New College and The Queen’s College chief among them, with centuries-old acoustics adding to the peace-and-goodwill atmosphere.

Burying your nose book-deep in The Norrington Room at Blackwell’s is just one passtime, but there’s nothing more appropriate for marking the Yuletide than walking through the city’s Christmas market with the scent of roasted chestnuts, or ascending the festive wheel for views above Trinity College and the Sheldonian Theatre. Pubs like The Bear Inn and The Turf Tavern (incredible festive menus) offer shelter from the cold, though you could embrace it and spend mornings taking in scenic views of Magdalen College on crisp walks along the River Cherwell.

10. Mousehole

Visit for: Coastal Christmas lights, West Country festive traditions

Spending Christmas by the coast seems like a desperate attempt to skip the cold, but in Mousehole harbour, the tiny Cornish fishing village is famous for the strings of lights that line the quayside cottages, creating a one-of-a-kind seaside-noel atmosphere. On 23 December, The village celebrates Tom Bawcock’s Eve, a centuries-old legend commemorating the fisherman who saved the village from starvation. The evening is marked by a lantern-lit procession through the streets, singing, and the ceremonial serving of Stargazy Pie, its fish heads famously gazing skyward in defiance of winter hardship. Warm up afterwards in The Ship Inn or The Old Coastguard, where seafood trumps a Christmas roast

11. Aviemore

Visit for: Snowy Highland scenery, Reindeer

This is the White Christmas us southerners dream of. Set within the Cairngorms National Park, Aviemore’s snow-covered mountains and frozen lochs frame outdoor adventures that range from gentle winter walks through Rothiemurchus Forest to snowshoeing and skiing. Visitors often catch sight of the Highland reindeer, Britain’s only free-ranging herd, a touch of Scandinavian magic, and the Funicular Railway up Cairngorm Mountain sees dramatic Highland vistas. As darkness falls early, with just 6 hours 40 minutes on the winter solstice, the long Highland nights become a large part of the experience, with incredible stargazing, and, on occasion, the pinks and greens of the Northern Light when the skies permit.

11 Of The Most Christmassy Places in Britain

Edinburgh