These two Scottish cities have been named the best in the UK for Christmas shopping...

If you’re yet to start your Christmas shopping, now’s the time - and savvy shoppers should be sure to visit Edinburgh or Glasgow to get their presents purchased, as the cities have been named the top two destinations for Christmas shopping in the UK.

That’s right, we’re lucky enough to have the UK’s best shopping cities right on our doorstep, so what better excuse to hit the high street?

In a study by hotel chain Premier Inn, a custom algorithm was created to study factors that make cities the best for visiting during the festive shopping season, analysing 20 British cities and taking into account elements like the likelihood of snowfall, the quality of each city’s Christmas market, and practicalities like parking, travelling to and from and the ease of walking around and enjoying each city during the festivities.

And luckily for us, Edinburgh was found to offer shoppers and visitors the best experience, thanks to its striking architecture - the perfect backdrop to the season - charming cobbled streets, plenty of shops (blending high street favourites and unique independent stores), and a ‘sprawling’ Christmas market.

But it’s not all about the capital - Scotland stormed ahead in the polls and Glasgow took the prize for second place, with researchers commenting on its ‘festive cheer, manageable crowds and traffic, and stellar Christmas market’.

So this December, there’s no need to plan an extensive shopping trip down south - it’s all about Scotland if you want a stress-free shopping experience during the festive season.

The top 20 UK cities for Christmas shopping

1. Edinburgh

2. Glasgow

3. Oxford

4. Newcastle

5. Belfast

6. Bournemouth

7. Southampton

8. Manchester

9. Brighton

10. York

11. Nottingham

12. Bristol

13. Cardiff

14. Birmingham

15. Liverpool

16. London

17. Swansea

18. Leicester

19. Leeds

20. Sheffield

Source: Premier Inn