Edinburgh Christmas Market organisers submit plans for summer big wheel

Unique Assembly wants the 46-metre-high ferris wheel to be in Princes Street Gardens from June through December.

Edinburgh’s Christmas organisers want big wheel in place during summer — The wheel is currently in place from November 4 to January 4. iStock

Posted in

City of Edinburgh

The company behind Edinburgh’s Christmas markets have announced plans to have the big wheel as an attraction during the summer months.

The markets, which usually hosts a giant ferris wheel, 80 stalls, a Christmas tree maze and Santa’s grotto, has been a main element of Scotland’s Christmas celebrations.

Unique Assembly, the organisers behind the popular event, wants the 46-metre-high ferris wheel to be in Princes Street Gardens from June through December, before shutting it down for a brief period before reopening for the Christmas and New Year period.

It currently has planning consent for a fixed two-month period, from November 4 to January 4.

An event application lodged with City of Edinburgh Council on Monday is seeking feedback on the proposal to hold the attraction at its usual location in East Princes Street Gardens.

A spokesperson for Unique Assembly said: “The Edinburgh Big Wheel has become a key feature of the Edinburgh skyline during Edinburgh’s Christmas, welcoming over 185,000 locals and visitors annually to enjoy spectacular aerial views of the city.

“We are currently in early stages of discussions with partners to present the Edinburgh Big Wheel for a period this summer and believe this would be a hugely popular summer attraction for Edinburgh, presenting the capital in a completely different light and helping generate much-needed income for the city.”