Scotland's "most stressful" city for shopping this Christmas has been named (Image: Ken Jack/Getty Images)

Scotland's 'most stressful' city for Christmas shopping named - see the full list

by · Daily Record

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Scotland's "most stressful" city for Christmas shopping has been named in a new study. As December kicks off and people rush to get their festive shopping done, high streets and shopping centres around the country will be jam-packed.

While some love the rush and buzz of Christmas shopping, others find the experience stressful and overwhelming. Experts at Moneyboat have determined which cities across the UK are the most stressful shopping experiences, based on factors such as parking, train station traffic, international visitors, and shopping facilities.

Coming in at number one for Scotland is Edinburgh. Placing at number five on the UK-wide list, the capital was found to have 1,796,000 international visitors flocking to the city yearly — the third-most in the nation behind London and Birmingham.

Meanwhile, according to the experts, Auld Reekie is home to 15 car parks and eight shopping centres, while its train stations welcome 18,212,628 people yearly. Being Scotland's second-biggest city, Edinburgh is home to a wide variety of global chains.

Its top shopping destinations include the famous Princes Street, the large St James Quarter centre, and the Fort Kinnaird outdoor retail park. Meanwhile, areas such as the buzzing port district of Leith and the picturesque Dean Village feature a wide selection of charming independent businesses.

According to Moneyboat, Edinburgh also has more than 1,847 restaurants — so there will always be a food spot nearby if you need to take a break from shopping to refuel.

Each year, the Edinburgh Christmas Market welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Scotland and beyond (Image: georgeclerk / Getty Images)

The city also hosts the famous Edinburgh Christmas Market, which each year welcomes millions of visitors from across the world. The festive market includes a wide range of stalls, as well as food and drink vendors and even funfair rides.

Elsewhere, topping the list as the most stressful city in the UK to shop this Christmas is Reading. Beating out London, which placed second, the city was found to be home to just eight car parks. On the other hand, Nottingham was named the most relaxed place to shop this Christmas. The English city boasts 44 car parks and welcomes a comparatively modest 189,000 visitors from across the globe.

Moneyboat commented: "From sourcing a parking spot to grappling with heavy bags and contending with overcrowded areas, there are various stresses associated with a shopping trip, especially in the run-up to the festive season. So, it’s with this in mind that we’ve decided to see which areas across the UK are the most (and least) stressful for shoppers!"

More information about the most stressful and most relaxed cities for shopping this Christmas can be found on the Moneyboat website.

Christmas in Scotland

The most stressful UK cities to go Christmas shopping

  1. Reading
  2. London
  3. Coventry
  4. Birmingham
  5. Edinburgh
  6. Bradford
  7. Bournemouth
  8. Plymouth
  9. Wolverhampton
  10. Derby

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