Tea Green Winter Market

Tea Green Events are bringing their Winter Market to the National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, with the stalls open from 10am to 5pm both days. It's a curated gathering of independent creative businesses from across Scotland, so you'll find textiles, jewellery, ceramics and illustration all in one place.

Tea Green has been running pop-up markets since 2014, and it's grown into one of the city's more established showcases for independent makers. The selection is curated from creative businesses based across Scotland, so the stands bring together work from all over the country rather than just the local scene. If you're looking for something a bit more considered than the usual high street, it's a good spot to find things you won't see elsewhere.

The setting is as much of a draw as the market itself. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street is one of Edinburgh's most striking buildings — a red sandstone neo-Gothic palace that sits right on the city's skyline. Inside, contemporary portraits of pop culture icons like Billy Connolly, Emeli Sandé and Tilda Swinton hang alongside Mary Queen of Scots, Robert Burns and Charles Edward Stuart. The rooms are finished with elaborate murals and sculptural embellishments, including the world-famous Great Hall with its Zodiac ceiling, which is said to feature around 2,000 golden stars and 47 constellations. There's also Café Portrait if you fancy a break between the stalls.

It runs across the whole weekend, so you can pick whichever day suits you best. Entry is free, and the market is open 10am to 5pm on both Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November at the National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait, 1 Queen Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 1JD.