A frozen ice sculpture adventure is at the centre of a revamped programme for Edinburgh's Christmas celebrations.

A giant "advent calendar" showing scenes from Edinburgh's past will also be projected onto the front of Register House off Princes Street, with a new image being revealed each day.

Schoolchildren from across the city will also have the opportunity to design a special Christmas and Hogmanay tram.

This is the first year organisers Underbelly, who have run Edinburgh's Christmas events for five years, will also be in charge of the city's Hogmanay celebrations.

The events company said 2017's Christmas celebrations would be the "biggest, brightest and best" so far as it revealed its programme on Tuesday.

The ice adventure, described as a "journey through frozen Scotland", will feature sculptures including the Loch Ness Monster, Robert the Bruce and Dolly the Sheep.

It will launch on Friday, November 17 and will run until Christmas Eve, also hosting the popular Santa's Grotto.

The giant advent calendar will begin projecting on to Register House on Friday, December 1, with a new animated image being revealed each day until Christmas between 5pm and 10pm.

The images will date back to the 1700s and will be set to a "soundscape" reflecting the period.

As well as designing the livery for an Edinburgh and Hogamanay tram, Edinburgh's schoolchildren will have the chance to design up to 50 stained glass windows which will be displayed outside of St Giles Cathedral.

The Christmas market in Princes Street Gardens will continue as before and the city's famous lights switch on will be held on November 19.

Charlie Wood, one of the directors for the Edinburgh's Christmas event, said: "This is the fifth year Underbelly has produced Edinburgh's Christmas on behalf of the city of Edinburgh council and we are extremely excited to be presenting such an ambitious and refreshed programme spreading farther and wider across the city, reaching more communities than ever before.

"The economic impact of Edinburgh's Christmas on the city is growing every year and with the positive effect it has socially on the residents of Edinburgh, we are proud to be able to bring world class winter entertainment to the Scottish capital yet again."

Earlier, Underbelly revealed Rag'n'Bone Man would be headlining Edinburgh's Hogmanay street festival.

Sculptors Hamilton Ice will create the ice adventure in the west end of George Street.

Jamie Hamilton said: "We couldn't be happier to be part of Edinburgh's Christmas for the first time.

"We're having great fun imagining and creating in snow and ice many aspects of Scotland from Robert the Bruce to Dolly the Sheep for the ice adventure, which we hope visitors will enjoy exploring and discovering."

Edinburgh lord provost Frank Ross said: "Produced on behalf of the Council for the enjoyment of everyone, Edinburgh's Christmas has become one of the top winter festivals in the UK.

"This year's programme celebrates the past, present and future of our city, with a combination of new attractions, popular events and old favourites."