Helensburgh’s Winter Festival has been named one of the ‘most Instagrammable’ holiday events in Scotland – beating one of the biggest Christmas occasions in Scotland.

The Burgh event was ranked in the top 10 in statistics published by event insurance specialists Protectivity.

The Winter Festival  was ranked ninth on the list, coming in one place ahead of the Glasgow Christmas tree lights switch-on.

The 2023 festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday, December 9 and 10.

Gail Broadhurst, chair of the Helensburgh Winter Festival Committee, was delighted to hear the event had ranked so highly.

She said: “Wow! That is just incredible news and it’s especially good because earlier this summer we lost our Facebook account with 5,500 followers.

“The fact that we had to create a new social media presence and we’re still coming ninth for people posting is incredible.”

Protectivity analysed and ranked over 84,000 Instagram posts featuring location-specific hashtags for 42 Scottish Christmas events to create their list of Scotland’s top Christmas spots.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: “This scenic coastal town is affectionately known as ‘The Christmas Town’ by locals, and for good reason.

“Despite only running for one weekend, this event packs in a Santa Dash, Christmas concerts, and light displays.”

Also in the ranking was the Edinburgh Christmas markets in first place, the Glasgow Christmas markets in second, and Christmas at the Botanics in third.

The Irn Bru Carnival was ranked fourth, with the Castle of Light fifth, Aberdeen Christmas Village sixth, the Oban Winter Festival seventh and the Beecraigs Festive Forest eighth.

Sean Walsh, head of marketing at Protectivity, said: “It’s wonderful to see that Scotland’s Christmas events have bounced back after the pandemic.

“These Christmas spectacles have become an integral part of the festive season for many people in Scotland as well as tourists, bringing joy, light, and warmth to the winter months. 

“Make sure to visit your local Christmas event this year to help support small businesses and to immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit.”

Find out full details of what's happening at the Winter Festival this weekend at helensburghwinterfestival.co.uk.

For more information on Protectivity, visit: www.protectivity.com/product/event-insurance.