Come December, is there anything more delightfully festive than a Christmas market?

Although Brits have been known to travel abroad to the likes of Germany and Prague to get our festive kicks, the UK is also home to some pretty magical Christmas markets – and there’s one in particular that we all need to visit.

According to Red, development company McCarthy and Stone asked its customers to choose their favourite Christmas market from a list of the 10 most Googled markets in the UK and it was bonny Edinburgh that came out on top, with a winning 23%.

Edinburgh is home to not one, but two, traditional markets, both open from mid-November with a selection of delicious fare and festive shopping opportunities.

East Princess Street Gardens Market is the main attraction. Positioned in the heart of the city, it runs from the 18 November to 6 January and features craft, artisan goodies, gift shops and gastronomic surprises.

If you’re quick, you’ll also catch George Street Market in the New Town, which runs until Christmas Eve selling more festive mementoes and stocking fillers. 

Locals and tourists alike have been taking to Twitter to shout about what makes Edinburgh’s markets so special, with one social media user admitting they “can’t seem to stay away”.

But if Scotland is a little too far afield, there’s plenty more on the list also worth a visit.

Coming in at second place with 15% is Bath’s award-winning Christmas market, where 200 twinkling chalets line the city’s picturesque Georgian streets. Birmingham scored the third hot-spot, loved for its German-style Frankfurt Christmas Market which has been running for a whopping 15 years. 

Take a look at the full list below and see if your local Christmas market made the cut. Or find another one nearby for some last minute festive frolics:

1. Edinburgh - 23.04%

2. Bath - 15.71%

3. Birmingham - 15.18%

4. York - 10.47%

5. Bristol - 8.90%

6. Nottingham - 7.85%

7. Liverpool - 6.28%

8. Cardiff - 4.71%

9. Leeds - 4.19%

10. Exeter - 3.66%

Images: iStock