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06 Sept 2025

Derry one of the most likely places in the UK to see snow this Christmas

According to new data, Derry is seventh in the list for snow days in the UK

After a snowy start it'll be cold all day in Co. Kildare

Derry is one of the most likely places in the United Kingdom for a white Christmas, according to new data.

Analysing factors such as the number of snow days, the average duration of Christmas markets, the number of cosy pubs and more, GO Outdoors has ranked and rated the most Christmassy areas in the UK.

Derry was ranked seventh on the list, with the metric used being the average annual snow days, in which the Maiden City has 12.

The top four spots on the list were occupied by areas in Scotland.

Top of the list was Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands, with 66.4 average annual snow days.

Aberfeldy in the county of Perth and Kinross is second on the list, with almost half of the amount in first position with only 31.8 average annual snow days.

Third and fourth on the list were Inverness (27.1) in the Highlands and Stirling (20.6), respectively.

According to the researchers, Inverness was rated the best place to spend Christmas in the UK, with the city home to everything from cosy eateries to snowy natural landscapes. With 4.23 restaurants per 1,000 people, there are countless options to enjoy a festive meal or drink in an idyllic winter setting.

Fifth on the list for average annual snow days was Sheffield in England. The South Yorkshire city has 15.8 days on average, with the Steel City the only English entry on the list.

In sixth place, one place above Derry is the Scottish city of Aberdeen, with an average annual snow day fall of 14.3.

Following Derry in eighth place is the last Scottish entry on the list, Perth in Perth and Kinross with an average annual snow day number of 11.9.

Scotland seems to love Christmas, as they have embraced the festive period due to the higher number of areas in comparison to the rest of the UK having snow days.

Glasgow has the Christmas markets that last the longest in the country, with them being open for 58 days, and Dundee is ranked as the best place for the family to spend Christmas, with some of the most affordable venues for ice skating and over a third of pubs being child-friendly.

Rounding out the list with the highest average annual amount of snow days were two areas in Wales, Mold in Flintshire and Caerphilly with 11.7 and 10.6, respectively.

As the population of the country hopes for a white Christmas, leading many to think of a famous Charles Dickens novel and the wintery scenes in it, the bookmakers have offered people the chance to bet on whether their area will see snow fall on Christmas. 

Bookmakers have placed Edinburgh as favourites with Newcastle coming in a close second in the market to have a White Christmas this year.

Ladbrokes latest betting market sees Edinburgh at 6/4 and Newcastle both sit at 7/4 in the market, with the north of the UK looking more likely to see snow falling there this year.

The betting market focuses on various airports across the UK seeing snow fall, with the Met Office tending to use airports due to their open space, making them great places for observations of weather.

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