Up to 150,000 people are expected to attend Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh during three days of events to welcome in the new year.
Celebrations will begin with the Torchlight procession on December 30, which last year saw 30,000 people walk through the Scottish capital, and continue through to the 30th “Loony Dook” on New Year’s Day, which sees hundreds of people in fancy dress plunge into the freezing River Forth in view of the renowned bridges.
Biffy Clyro, the band that formed in Kilmarnock, will headline the sold-out main concert in Princes Street Gardens on New Year’s Eve, but others attending the celebrations can still join the Street Party, with live bands and DJs in the city centre.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Fireworks will see in the new year at midnight on December 31.
The celebrations, which have been overhauled this year, will also include a new “Old Town Ceilidh” that promises to combine traditional music, food and drink in the old part of the city. It will include an attempt to perform the longest Strip the Willow dance in the world.
We offer a brief guide to the various events, parties and celebrations, below. You might also like to consult our guide to the best bars and clubs in the city, if you fancy a pre-party pint.
How can I get tickets?
Each of the seven main events is individually ticketed. We have described how to purchase each in date order; an overview of all the events and booking links are available on the official Edinburgh Hogmanay website.
December 30
Torchlight Procession
This memorable event sees tens of thousands of people walk through the streets of Edinburgh carrying torches, in a marvellous spectacle.
7pm, from George IV Bridge.
Vouchers £12, available to book here
The event is a yearly sell out so early reservation is advised.
An Up Helly Aa style procession has been part of previous years' events (Lloyd Smith) Photo: lloyd Smith
December 31
The Concert in the Gardens, with headline act Biffy Clyro, is sold out. Party-goers can however still join the following events:
Street Party
Four stages of the best traditional, rock and pop music as well as alternative acts in locations around the city centre.
The Waverley stage will have acts including Maxïmo Park and Slaves, the Frederick Street stage the Craig Charles funk and soul show, the Castle Street stage Shooglenifty and the Peatbog Faeries, and the Mound stage the club night set Guilty Pleasures, which is described as "the UK's biggest, boldest, brashest and best night club night."
Arena, bars and attractions open from 7pm, live acts from 9pm.
Tickets are £25 available to book here.
Getting home: after the Street Party, CityLink buses will depart from Edinburgh Bus Station to a number of destinations across Scotland; pre-booking essential. Details to be announced shortly; check http://ift.tt/2288LrX for updates.
This year's Concert in the Garden as already sold out, but there are plenty of other events (Lloyd Scott) Photo: Lloyd Scott
Candlelit Concert, St Giles’ Cathedral
Sold out - a concert featuring performances by the St Giles' Cathedral Choir and young soloists.
For those with tickets, it takes place at the venue on the Royal Mile, 6pm (doors at 5.30pm)
The Old Town Ceilidh
What claims to be the UK’s largest Ceilidh will take place on High Street/Parliament Square, replacing the extremely popular Keilidh on the Mound from previous years. Dancing is on paved and cobbled surfaces, so appropriate footwear is advised. An attempt will be made to set the world record for the largest "strip the willow" - a Scottish country dance.
Stage live 9pm-1am (arena opens at 8pm)
Tickets are £45 and available to book here
Midnight Fireworks
Pictures of fireworks over Edinburgh Castle bringing in the new year are some of the most memorable of the Scottish capital. They are best seen from a distance, rather than from near the launch areas, which will be cordoned off.
The Hogmanay Midnight Fireworks are an annual fixture (Chris Watt)
Count down fireworks will take place at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm, with the main event seeing 2016 in at midnight.
There will be renditions of Auld Lang Syne, whose lyrics are as follows:
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne
We’ll tak a cup o kindness yet, For auld lang syne!
And here’s a hand my trusty fiere And gies a hand o thine
We’ll tak a right guid-willie waught, For auld lang syne!"
Telegraph Culture has more interesting facts on Auld Lang Syne
The fireworks are best seen from a distance (Lloyd Smith)
January 1
Scot:Lands
A mysterious sounding journey that invites participants to "set your compass and join us on an adventurous journey across Edinburgh’s Old Town" is planned for the first day of 2016. The first allocation of tickets for the free event, which takes place at locations across the city, is sold out, but another will be released in late December. Check http://ift.tt/2288LIf for details.
Check in is from 12.30pm and the event will take place between 1-5pm.
The annual Loony Dook sees about 1,000 people plunge into the freezing waters of the river Forth on New Year's Day (Getty) Photo: Getty
The Stoats Loony Dook
This classic New Year’s Day dip in the River Forth sees people in fancy dress jump into the water in the shadow of the Forth bridges. Stoats oats is supporting the event this year and will be handing out warming bowls of porridge.
The event is sold out, but onlookers can join from the quayside.
For those with tickets - check-in at RNLI Lifeboat Station - between 12.30pm – 2pm
How do I get there?
Edinburgh Hogmanay Travel Centre is offering packages from £259 per person, which include city centre accommodation, street party tickets, and breakfast; upgrades are available, although packages including Party in the Gardens tickets are sold out. See http://ift.tt/2288LIh for more information. Availability is limited.
By train
Services from England run on the East Coast line between London and Edinburgh Waverley station. Services are operates by Virgin Trains. See virgintrainseastcoast.com
Alternative routes are operated by ScotRail: scotrail.co.uk and Network Rail: networkrail.co.uk.
To organise your itinerary from your specific departure point, visit nationalrail.co.uk.
By car
The official Edinburgh Hogmanay website recommends using Arnold Clark car rental while in Scotland (arnoldclarkrental.com) but also advises using car sharing services (to minimise the amount of traffic attempting to circulate in and around the city. Check nationalcarshare.co.uk or gocarshare.com.
For local parking and Park & Ride facilities visit edinburgh.gov.uk
By air
Edinburgh International Airport is served by many low cost airlines edinburghairport.com and is 7.5 miles from the city centre. See skyscanner.net for the best deals from your departure airport.
Where to stay?
Accommodation will get booked up quickly as, like August for the Edinburgh Festival, Hogmanay is peak season in Edinburgh.
Telegraph Travel's Edinburgh expert has reviewed dozens of hotels, hostels and bed & breakfasts in the city and you can check availability from the links on our Edinburgh hotels guide.
You may also have more luck looking at self-catering apartments, which could be more economical if you are travelling in a group. See our guide to the best in the city here.
Finally, see edinburghshogmanay.com, the official site for the celebrations.
• The best hotels in Edinburgh
Glasgow
Events are less centrally organised in Glasgow, but there is still plenty going on. You might like to join one of the following knees-ups, all of which take place on December 31.
Merchant Square Hogmanay Party - 7pm-1am, tickets £30 each. There will be live entertainment from Edward Reid, The Capitals, and DJ Colin McArdle, plus the well-known midnight balloon drop. Bars and restaurants around the square will be open, including Metropolitan, Bar Square, Beer Café and Mercado.
Ashton Lane Hogmanay Street Party - 7pm-1.30am, tickets £25, over 18s only. DJs, street performers and a mini carnival will fill Ashton Lane in this popular annual event.
Sauchie Beer Hall - doors 9pm, tickets from £10. This venue is pairing with Scottish band Kilter for an alternative ceilidh, plus craft and draft beers.
The Corinthian Club - tickets £55 - This restaurant is offering a special Hogmanay dinner with access to its party with live band, and a four-course dinner.
For the best pubs - gastro and down-to-Earth - in Scotland's second city, see our expert's recommendations on the city's nightlife.
Tickets are selling like hot cakes for this year's Hogmanay party - have you got yours yet? Fanelli's are sold out;...
Posté par Merchant Square sur mardi 15 décembre 2015
How do I get there?
By train
Virgin (0871 977 4222; virgintrains.co.uk) has services from London Euston to Glasgow Central on the west coast line via Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle. Scotrail’s Caledonian Sleeper (08457 550033; scotrail.co.uk) is a comfortable way of travelling overnight, with duvets and breakfast in bed. Leaves Euston at 2300, arrives Glasgow Central 0718. Book early for amazing value of ‘bargain berths’.
By car
Glasgow uses a park and ride system to minimise the bunfight in the city centre. For a map and more information on driving in the city, visit: spt.co.uk/park-ride
By air
British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) flies from Heathrow and London City, easyJet (0843 104 5000; easyjet.com) from Bristol, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted; Flybe (0871 700 2000; flybe.com) from East Midlands, Exeter, Jersey, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, and Southampton. CityJet (0871 666 5050; cityjet.com) flies from Cardiff. Citywing (0871 200 0440; citywing.com) flies from Isle of Man Apr-Oct.
Where to stay?
Our Glasgow expert has picked the best hotels in the city - but you need to book as soon as possible as demand for the Scottish New Year is high.
Balls of fire are whirled through the air ay Stonehaven before being thrown into the sea (Getty) Photo: Getty
Around Scotland
Fire festivals are a renowned part of Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland. Enormous bonfires are lit as a traditional way to see in the year to come. The most famous are:
Stonehaven Fireball Festival, Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire - 45 participants swing blazing balls of fire above their heads before throwing them into the sea at the harbour. From 6pm, December 31.
Biggar Bonfire - this large fire in the Borders town of 2,000 people dates back to pagan times, when the celebration of light and warmth was believed to ward off evil spirits. The fire is lit at 9.30pm in the High Street, at the Corn Exchange.
Flambeaux Procession - Comrie in Perth and Kinross sees an annual procession during which torches made from long thick birch poles and tarred rags are carried through the village before being thrown in the River Earn. Generally from 6.30pm - see website for more details.
Flaming torches are paraded through the streets of Comrie on December 31 (Alamy) Photo: AP
The small town of Dornoch - once famed for advertising toilets as a tourist attraction - has tasteful celebrations that span three days, starting on December 31. Expect whisky, ceilidhs, plenty of music, plus a New Year's Day dip in the sea.
Out on the Isle of Lewis, local musicians lead the celebration into 2016. Arts centre An Lanntair has Willie Campbell alongside Colin MacLeod, Jane Hepburn, and Iain “Spanish” Mackay. Tickets £12, event 11pm-2am December 31. Visit lanntair.com for more information.
Aberdeen
The east coast city's celebrations will centre around the Schoolhill area from 7.30pm-12.15am, with free entry. There will be a battle of the bands and attractions from the Christmas Village, such as an open air ice rink, German market stalls and funfair rides. A fireworks display at midnight will top things off. For more information, visit aberdeenchristmas.co.uk
Inverness
A "Red Hot Highland Fling" - despite the raunchy name, this is a family-friendly event that will include comedians and music followed by midnight fireworks. Scotland's largest free Hogmanay celebration, things kick off at 7.30pm at the Northern Meeting Park. Visit invernessfestivals.com for more information.
VisitScotland has full listings of Hogmanay events going on around the country - for more, see http://ift.tt/1P7C5Yt
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