Alison Rose

You've had your last payday before Christmas, the European markets are in full swing and the big day is now less than a month away. Don't fancy shopping on the high street or facing the crowded markets? Here are some quirkier Christmas events going on around Edinburgh to help you get in the festive spirit this December. Festive vintage and craft fairs Out of the Blue Drill Hall will be holding two Christmas Arts Markets with more than 100 artists and designers selling their wares , letting you buy artwork and crafts direct from the makers. They'll also be holding an open studios event running alongside the market, giving you the opportunity to meet some of those based at the venue, on December 5, and a Christmas Bruncheon featuring live music and festive treats on December 12.December 5 and 12, 11am-5pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall. The 3D2D Craft, Art and Design Fair comes to The Assembly Rooms and will be bringing contemporary arts, crafts and design-work from across the UK. Your tickets will get you into the event all weekend too so you can come and go as you please.December 5 and 6, 10.30am-5pm, The Assembly Rooms. Summerhall, just off the Meadows, are hosting their annual Summerhall Christmas Market with more stalls more stalls than ever before. Expect a huge range of gifts and treats for family and friends, food from guest vendors, traditional gluhwein from the venue's bar and Zoom club activities to occupy the kids. There'll also be live entertainment with festive son

Buy from local farmers and food makers and ditch the supermarkets with the creation of Scotland's first Food Assembly in Leith. The online marketplace brings together shoppers with nearby food producers and allows you to buy local and pay online using the platform and then collect your supplies on a Monday evening at Jeremiah's Taproom.  Food Assembly started in 2011 in France and now there are over 700 spread throughout Europe with the UK’s first one opening last year. Currently the Leith branch has nine suppliers covering farmers, bakers, jam makers and seaweed producers and is still growing. I popped down to the collection point on Monday and met a few of them and tried some of their samples. There were tasters from The Bearded Baker and his delicious doughnuts and bagels, Supernature who produce tasty cold pressed rapeseed oils and Mara Seaweed and their healthy Scottish shake-on seaweeds. I also met Stuart, one of the lovely hosts of the Food Assembly, and had a good chat about it and how it works. Could you tell us a little about the Leith Food Assembly and what inspired you to get it started? ‘The Leith Food Assembly is the first Scottish version of an idea that started in France about four years ago. The idea is to use modern thinking to help people get involved in a very old-fashioned way of buying food. So it uses an online marketplace of local food businesses that customers can buy from (the modern bit), and then pick their goods up in a face-to-face meet up with f