The annual event, which saw around 600 people in attendance, is quickly becoming a must-attend event every year. The highlight of the night was a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs Claus, who handed out 500 gifts to local children.

The lights were turned on by Councillor Jane Meagher and the festive celebration was organised by housing association, Places for People Scotland, which manages over 9,000 homes and provides services to nearly 10,500 people across Scotland, including many homes in the Craigmillar and Niddire communities. Local businesses and volunteers also pitched in to make the event a success.

Staff from Places for People Scotland have also been working to collect gifts for the annual Christmas appeal, helping to ensure every local child received a present this Christmas.

Ciara Toland, head of communities for Places for People Scotland, said: “Christmas is a time for communities to come together and spread a bit of Christmas cheer. This time of year can also be particularly hard for many families as their bills go up and they want to do make sure their children have a nice Christmas. I hope that this event, and the wider support, will help to bring some much-needed joy.”

Councillor Jane Meagher added: “I’m hugely grateful to Places for People Scotland and everyone who has volunteered their time or funds to help make this event possible. Craigmillar and Niddrie are great communities and events like this help to bring people together. It was an absolute pleasure to be invited along to switch on the lights, although it was clear I was upstaged by the more important guest, Santa.”

The Craigmillar and Niddrie area recently saw significant disruption during bonfire night. Reflecting on this, Ciara Toland, commented: “I want to thank everyone who attended the switch on, our partners and local businesses working in the community for helping to ensure that this event was a huge success. It’s heart-warming to see these combined efforts bringing some festive joy to the community, and it is good that we can show the world what this community is really like.”