Published: December 20, 2021
Edinburgh has many free, engaging indoor options. The National Museum of Scotland is open 364 days a year (closed only on Christmas Day). There’s also national galleries a-plenty – Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (One and Two, pictured); Scottish National Gallery; Scottish National Portrait Gallery (all open throughout, bar Christmas Day and Boxing Day), plus myriad independent galleries to choose from.
If it’s calm you need, each Monday during December St Columba’s has Quiet Advent (3pm), where you can enjoy poetry and readings by candlelight. Edinburgh’s Mindfulness Association are also offering free daily online meditations (10:30am and 7pm) over winter.
Your local library is also a quiet and cosy place to stock up on books, CDs and DVDs to keep you busy and entertained. You no longer need to book to visit.
For support in a sober-safe environment, Edinburgh Recovery Activities will have a Christmas Quiz (22 December, 7:30pm) and a Big Quiz of the Year (29 December, 7:30pm) – both on Zoom (links on the ‘ERA Edinburgh Recovery Activities’ Facebook page).
Soul Food offer fresh meals and respite in churches across the city for those affected by homelessness, poverty or loneliness, including Boxing Day (Life Church, 5:30pm) and New Year’s Eve (Central Church, 5:30pm). Social Bite (Rose Street) will be providing food for the homeless and vulnerable in the run up to Christmas, including a two-course meal on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (noon-4pm), as well as distributing gifts via their Trees of Kindness initiative.
You can find our list of Outdoor options here.
And our Help and Support Contacts here.
You can also see our list of Edinburgh Food Bank opening times.
© Access to Industry
Access to Industry is a registered charity in Scotland (SC030186)
and a company limited by guarantee (SC203830)