Level 3 and an over reliance on tourism bring desperation to Edinburgh at Christmas

Yes, long after Santa has emptied his sack and the bells have welcomed in another year, all that's left of that blot, and the visitors who trudged through East Princes Street Gardens, is a muddy quagmire.

However, I'm conflicted this year, and not just because I have to confess to a certain fondness for the added sparkle and buzz Christmas brings to the Capital. The income generated by the thousands of merry-makers and Hogmanay revelers will be sorely missed and no doubt passed on to locals through a council tax hike and service cuts and while it can be only hoped the lack of pop-up competition this year will help local hospitality businesses who have struggled since March, sadly, that hope dwindles a little with every day Edinburgh remains in, what many consider an unwarranted stay in Level 3.

That the city, like so many others around the world, finds itself struggling as the pandemic tightens its grip may well be something that few could have expected, the City of Edinburgh Council's blinkered over reliance on tourism has also played its part in the damage being done. Eggs in one basket and all that. Is it too much to hope the Council will take stock and learn from the experience as other cities bothered by over-tourism appear to be doing?

Thankfully, the city's festive spirit can still to be found on George Street where The Dome continues to lift the mood and prove a huge draw thanks to its annual transformation into a spectacular explosion of magical largesse - and for those looking for a glass of mulled wine to keep them warm as they nip from store to store in search of presents, they even have an outdoor Christmas Chalet, located to the left of the building, where you can grab a mulled wine, tea, coffee, soft drink or crépe.

The Ivy on The Square too brings a glistening, winter wonderland welcome to St Andrew Square. Both The Dome and The Ivy have dreamed up an exciting menu of seasonal mocktails, well worth sampling. Who needs alcohol anyway?

Still, there's an air of sadness about the Capital as Christmas and New Year approach. With the city centre robbed of the chaotic energy that events such as the candle-lit procession bring so too there's a dampening of spirits, a feeling that the long, dark days of January have arrived early.

Let's just hope that, with the vaccination programme now underway, all the suffering inflicted on so many since March is indeed coming to the end and that at some point in 2021 we can start looking towards better times and while this Christmas will be quite unlike any other for all, my heart goes out to everyone who finds themselves heading there without a loved one for the first time. It’s not easy and Christmas may never quite be the same again, but it will be different and the smiles do return.

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