The Scottish Maritime Museum 2026 Winter Market

Friday 27th to Sunday 29th November

The Scottish Maritime Museum 2026 Winter Market

Where

Scottish Maritime Musuem, Linthouse Building, Harbour Rd, Irvine KA12 8BT

When

Established as one of the largest seasonal markets in the West of Scotland, this three-day event will transform the museum’s spectacular Linthouse building and an outdoor marquee into a vibrant, festive haven from Friday 27th November to Sunday 29th November 2026. Entry is completely free for all visitors throughout the weekend.

The weekend kicks off with an exclusive evening shopping session on Friday 27th November from 4:00pm to 9:00pm, providing a magical atmosphere for early Christmas preparations. The market will continue over the weekend, opening from 11:00am to 4:00pm on both Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November.

Visitors can expect a bustling, cheerful environment filled with seasonal treasures. The Linthouse will host a diverse array of local makers, giving shoppers the perfect opportunity to browse and purchase unique, handmade, and thoughtful gifts for their loved ones and treats for themselves.

Food & Drink

A Celebration of Local Produce
Adding to the weekend’s festivities, the Scottish Maritime Museum is delighted to host the ‘Ayrshire Food an’ a’ that’ Marquee across all three days. As part of their ongoing ‘Tastes of Ayrshire’ event series, the regional food and drink group will showcase the very best local produce. The marquee will celebrate Ayrshire’s rich culinary culture while promoting sustainability, innovation, and local economic collaboration.

https://ayrshire.food/

🎵 Live Festive Entertainment 🎵

Adding to the seasonal cheer, visitors will be entertained with live music on all three days of the market. The museum has unveiled an exciting daily lineup featuring outstanding folk and choral acts:

Friday Evening: The traditional Scottish folk band, Kurlew
Saturday: The lively folk shanty band, Morgan’s Men
Sunday: The talented local New Community Irvine Choir

Winter Lantern Workshops

Involving the Community: Winter Lantern Workshops
In the weeks leading up to the main event, the museum is inviting local children to play a starring role in decorating the venue. A series of creative Winter Lantern Workshops will take place ahead of the market on the following dates:

Saturday 7th November
Saturday 14th November
Sunday 15th November
Saturday 21st November
Sunday 22nd November

Running from 11:00am until 1:00pm each day, these fun, step-by-step sessions will be led by a friendly instructor. Children will use paper, tissue, card, and colourful, sparkly materials to build their very own winter lanterns. Each beautifully crafted lantern will be gathered to form a massive festive display, filling the vast Linthouse building with a warm, ambient winter light for visitors and families to admire when they return during the market weekend.

Come back with family and friends to spot your creation! BOOK HERE

Shopping with Purpose

This year’s market weekend beautifully aligns with Museum Shop Sunday, a global movement brought to the UK by the Association for Cultural Enterprises in partnership with the Museum Store Association in the US. Every year, over 2,200 arts, heritage, and cultural attractions worldwide come together to celebrate sustainable retail.

When visitors choose to shop at the Winter Market, they are “Shopping with Purpose.” Every purchase made actively contributes to the vital work of the Scottish Maritime Museum, helping to maintain its historic collections for future generations to enjoy. Simultaneously, visitors are directly supporting the independent makers and local suppliers who create these unique gifts.

Please note that while the Museum was open for FREE during the Winter Market, not all objects and galleries were accessible during your visit.
The Harbourside offers numerous places to eat, drink, and even stay if you’re looking for a short break away.

📢 CALLING ALL MAKERS & CREATORS!

Applications are officially open for our upcoming market, and we are looking for the region’s best local talent!

We take pride in being a strictly maker-only market, which means every single stallholder designs, creates, or handcrafts their own products. There is a no-resale policy, absolutely no buy-in, wholesale imports, or commercial goods are permitted.

If you make original, unique items and want to showcase them alongside a supportive community of fellow artisans, we want to hear from you!

It’s not acceptable to have mass-produced or imported goods unless you have written permission by the Market Manager and items cannot breach copyright laws.

How to apply for a stall

For food & drink traders & producers please David Jamieson the Regional Food Group Coordinator > david@ayrshire.food with the name of your business and your contact details.
For crafters & artists please email the events team > events@scotmaritime.org.uk with your name, the name of your stall or organisation, your email address and details of what you will be selling. If there is availability you will receive a copy of the Market Guidelines’ and a link to the online application form.

Key unique aspects for having a stall:

Historic Location: Stalls are located inside the massive, glass-roofed Linthouse building and surrounding courtyard, providing a unique, atmospheric backdrop rather than a typical market hall.
Atmosphere & Exhibits: The market is held alongside, or in conjunction with, the museum’s maritime collection, including boats, model ships, and sometimes vintage car displays.
High-Traffic Events: Markets, such as the Winter Market or Spring Creatives Market, are heavily attended, with some attracting over 4,000 visitors.
Local Focus: The events, often in collaboration with “Ayrshire Food An’ A’ That,” highlight local artisans, crafts, and food producers from across Ayrshire and beyond.
Diverse Activities: When funds are available the environment includes, in addition to shopping, live music, children’s activities, plus workshops and craft demonstrations such as glass working, Classic Car and Model Boat Showcases.
Promotion: The markets are promoted using traditional leaflets, posters, mentions in newsletters, on the Scottish Maritime Museum website and social media, plus occasionally on national radio.