Gail Porter brought some magic fairy dust to Ocean Terminal this weekend when she arrived at the shopping centre to officially launch Christmas and open the Ethical and Scottish Christmas Market.

A Christmas parade kick started the festive season in Leith, finishing up at Santa’s Grotto where children were allowed to give him their Christmas wish list. Santa will be returning to the centre from this Thursday (21^st November) and will be there every day through till Christmas Eve. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be given to local charity partners, St Columba’s Hospice and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.

Added fun, family activities this winter include a giant snow globe to create magical photo memories for all the family. There is also a special Faberge inspired egg trail, with six beautifully decorated giant eggs displayed around the centre for kids to discover as part of a treasure trail with a festive treat at the end.

The weekend also saw the launch of the Ethical and Scottish Christmas Fair, which has returned for its third time to Ocean Terminal. Exhibiting in the Food Court on the first floor daily up until 23 December traders are selling eco and fair trade gifts and products. The makers have come from across Scotland and internationally to bring their handcrafted gifts, ranging from ceramics and wood carving to leather, beadwork and recycled gifts, as well as homemade jams and chutneys.

Commenting on arrival of the festive season at Ocean Terminal, Centre Manager, Dennis Jones said:

“This is such a special time of year for all the family and we are extremely pleased to be able to welcome back all the traders taking part in this year’s Ethical & Scottish Market. They create another dimension to our shopping experience and people love the vibrant atmosphere they bring to the Food Court with their colourful products, as well as the stories that bring to life how these gifts have been made.”

Tania Pramschufer, founder of Local Motive Markets said:

“Ocean Terminal is such a great destination and we were very excited to bring the ethical market back for a third time. Gail Porter has been a huge ambassador over the years in her role as Global Fair Trade Ambassador, working with Fairtrade in Uganda and Ghana, so it was very fitting that she joined us to launch the market at the weekend.”

• The Ethical and Scottish Market is open daily between 11am and 6pm until Monday 23 December.
• Santa’s Grotto tickets cost £4.50 and are available from the customer service desk. The grotto is open 11am-5pm Monday to Friday and Sunday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday.