‘Tis the Season: Christmas Decorations 2023

Decorations for the Christmas tree are an easy souvenir from my travels, usually small so easily packed away in hand luggage. I didn’t take nearly as many trips as I wanted to this year due to various health shenanigans but I did manage to buy more than a few new decorations for the tree and they’re featured here in what has become something of a traditional yearly post. The first was from Cambridge and is of King’s College Chapel which you’ll be able to read about in a couple of weeks.

This smart gentleman is Sir Walter Scott, writer of such novels as Ivanhoe and Rob Roy, which is what he is holding in his hand. I purchased this at Abbotsford which was his home for many years. An easy hour or so journey from Edinburgh, you’ll be able to read more about my visit there next year.

This is of course Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. I couldn’t resist this decoration though I actually found it in the shop at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh rather than anywhere near Loch Ness. The cathedral is another place you’ll get to read about next year.

And here is a lovely Scottish cow that I bought in a tourist shop along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, just because who wouldn’t want such a cute animal hanging from their tree?

My final new purchase of the year was this wonderful peacock from Warwick Castle. It has beautiful colours and denotes the peacocks that roam freely around the castle grounds – we saw one on our trip and heard many others. (If you’ve ever heard a peacock’s call you’ll know just how tremendously loud they are).

Do you have a favourite Christmas ornament from your travels? Let me know in the comments!