Christmas in Aberdeen has won another national accolade, being named as the UK’s second most festive city in a study by train operator LNER.
The news has been warmly welcomed by Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, as underlining the success and popularity of the sparkling events staged to bring the season’s cheer – and an economic boost – to the city.
New research conducted by LNER ranked 88 towns and cities across the UK based on their chance of a white Christmas, the number of carol events, Christmas light switch-on dates, popular Christmas-related search trends, and the duration of local Christmas markets.
Aberdeen ranked second, only just pipped at the post by Edinburgh. The Granite CIty was rated as having the highest chance of a White Christmas (more than 50%) and also praised for its wide variety of family-friendly events.
These include the Christmas Village on Broad Street, the unique Curated In The Quad festive market, the Christmas Parade and the new Christmas light-up trail.
Adrian said: “Being ranked the second most festive city in the UK out of 88 – and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the world-famous Edinburgh Christmas – is a fantastic achievement for Aberdeen, putting us firmly on the national stage.
“Of course, events such as the Aberdeen Christmas Village, Curated In The Quad, the parade, the lights trail and all the other things that make this season so special don’t just happen by Christmas magic.
“There is so much work, passion and commitment that goes into these events from the stakeholders – Aberdeen Inspired, Charlie House, Codona’s and the city council. It’s that partnership and drive that makes the Granite City such a shining beacon of fun and laughter at this time of year.
“All of these wonderful events bring people into the city centre, giving them a chance to sample not only the village and festive market but all the other attractions on offer – including restaurants and bars. The economic impact of that is a gift for Aberdeen.”
Adrian added that the LNER survey built on the recognition Aberdeen received last year when its Christmas market was rated in the top five in the UK in a survey commissioned by online car dealer cinch.
“We were rated among the top five last year, we placed second in the UK this year – which means there is only one way to go for next year, and I know we will all be working towards that,” said Adrian
You can find out more about Aberdeen Inspired’s Christmas offerings at aberdeeninspired.com
You can read Aberdeen Live's report on the LNER survey here.