Hogmanay in Edinburgh: An Extraordinary Way to Celebrate the New Year

New Year’s Eve is always an extremely exciting night, and one of my greatest pleasures is taking a trip to celebrate the new year to a major city with an impressive fireworks display. In the past I’ve spent the evening in Istanbul, Barcelona and London, but this year I decided I’d like to experience the world famous Hogmanay in Edinburgh.

I had also been wrestling with what to get my boyfriend as a Christmas present, and I thought I might kill two birds with one stone, and treat him to experience Hogmanay in Edinburgh as a gift. Edinburgh is also a perfect destination for me, as I didn’t have to apply for a visa in order to celebrate!

My boyfriend loves to make a big deal of our trips, and to take advantage of new experiences and places, so we ended up staying in Edinburgh for five days. Normally however I would imagine that three days would be more than enough time to visit the city and experience the festival. We flew in to Edinburgh airport, and had booked a room at a hotel nearby, largely because accommodation over New Year in the city centre is scarce and expensive, whereas the hotels slightly further away were both nicer, and more affordable. Edinburgh has a great public transport system, so being a little further away wasn’t a problem at all, and we were still only 30 minutes away from the main attractions.

We started our Edinburgh experience with a trip to Greyfriars Kirkyard. This is the graveyard of the Greyfriars Kirk (kirk is Scots for church), which takes its name from the Franciscan monastery originally on the site. The graveyard has been in service since 1561, and has a fascinating history, including a long (and sometimes gruesome and violent) association with the Covenanting Movement, which gave rise to the Presbyterian Church in Scotland.

Greyfriars Kirkyard also has a cuter, cuddlier history in the form of Greyfriars Bobby, the dog who spent 14 years guarding his master’s grave after he had died. There is an excellent statue of Bobby outside the churchyard, and you can also visit his own grave inside. The story of Greyfriars Bobby is moving, and a true example of loyalty and friendship…sometimes just what you need after a bit of more serious historical tourism.

After Greyfriars we climbed the famous Royal Mile, to get our first glimpse of Edinburgh Castle, perched right at the top of the old town, looming grandly over the rest of the city. The Castle is built on Castle Rock, an ancient volcanic rock over 3,000 years old. The castle was built in the 12th century, and was the seat of Scottish royalty until the Act of Union in 1707 formally joined Scotland and England to form the United Kingdom.

On our visit to the Castle we were lucky enough to see a performance in the Great Hall. As we arrived to the Great Hall, we were greeted by Mary, Queen of Scots, holding court in the main throne room. On learning that we were from England, she asked us to give her regards to her cousin, Elizabeth, and we were appointed as her advisors (she clearly saw our intelligence and wit right away!). This performance was a real treat, and made the visit that little bit more special.

Once we’d finished with our fun at the Castle, we went for dinner at The Witchery by the Castle. My boyfriend has tried to eat there a few times before, when he’s visited Edinburgh, but it is extremely popular and he’d never managed to get in. Luckily we’d made reservations, and I can see why it is so busy – it’s a lovely spot, with really nice food. I would highly recommend it, but do book beforehand so as not to be disappointed!

The highlight of the next day, the big build-up to the main Hogmanay celebrations, was meant to be the Torchlight Procession. We spent the day just wandering around, exploring the city, but being quite relaxed in preparation for the evening’s entertainment. Sadly the procession itself was a bit of a disappointment. We started from the North Bridge, where we waited for over half an hour before our torches were lit. We then marched down through the town to Holyrood Park. The description of the procession promised bands, drums and dances, but aside from an occasional pipe band, we saw nothing like this. The torches themselves were actually quite dangerous, and we saw several people unable to control theirs! Luckily we didn’t have any accidents, and our hair was safe. Once the procession was over, we headed to The Jazz Bar, one of Edinburgh’s most famous and longest-established music venues, to grab a drink. This really perked up our night, and meant we came away from the evening feeling happy, positive…and maybe a little tipsy!

The next day was the big one – 31st December, time for Hogmanay in Edinburgh! We were going to the New Year’s Eve Street Party on Princes Street in the evening, so we took it quite easy during the day, with just a little walk around Calton Hill. Calton Hill is a beautiful park, set on one of Edinburgh’s main hills. It is famous for its beautiful skyline of a mock Athenian acropolis, which is actually an unfinished monument to the men who died in the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century.

The Hogmanay in Edinburgh Street Party is an amazing spectacle. Doors open at 7pm, but the party doesn’t get started until 9pm. There are multiple stages, with a huge variety of bands, performers and artists entertaining huge crowds – I think there are 61,000 people in total attending. Edinburgh’s culture, art and drama is on full display, and the headliners for the evening were Franz Ferdinand, leading the crowd in a rendition of the traditional song Auld Lang Syne when midnight came around.

The party is ticketed, so you don’t need to worry about getting in once you’ve got your ticket, but as there are so many people attending it is worth getting in early so you can pick your spot, and soak up the atmosphere without too much queueing and jostling. One of the best things about the festivities is that there are ‘countdown’ fireworks displays throughout the evening, at 9pm, 10pm, and 11pm, so wherever you are you get to see something spectacular and beautiful. We ended up at the top of the ferris wheel at the Christmas Market for the 11pm display, so as well as getting a birds eye view of the city and its stunning twinkling lights, we were able to see the entire fireworks display. A genuinely precious moment that made us feel incredibly lucky.

We had a superb time wandering through the festival, just taking it all in. The live music at the concert stages, the costumed parades, the pipers and the traditional ceilidh dancing, it was all quite magical and an amazing spectacle, topped off by the hourly fireworks. It was, however, really quite cold, and to escape the chill (and perhaps feeling our age a bit!) we escaped to the Johnnie Walker Bothy Bar to sit down, have a short rest and get a bit of heat before midnight. The warm and cosy bar worked a treat, and when midnight approached we were ready and raring to go again.

As the clocks struck twelve, the sky lit up with a spectacular fireworks display. I’ve never really seen anything quite like it – a vast explosion of colour, with the roar of the crowds’ appreciation drowned out by the booms and crackles of the show. A wonderful way to welcome in the new year.

Once the show was over we took advantage of the free public transport and got the train back to our hotel.

Our next day was all about sightseeing. We wandered all over the city, taking it in and getting a real flavour of what Edinburgh had to offer. From the Royal Mile to Victoria Street, to follow in JK Rowling’s footsteps and take a look at the places that inspired Harry Potter (Victoria Street itself became Diagon Alley in the books, and George Heriot’s School bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts itself!). We moved onwards, taking in Princes Street and St Andrew’s Square, checking out the shops seemingly filled with Harry Potter memorabilia, cashmere and whisky. We also allowed ourselves a few stops in the gorgeous, atmospheric pubs that fill the city centre.

That evening we took a Ghostly Underground Walking Tour to see the Blair Street Underground Vaults, and get a feeling for the supernatural, otherworldly side of the city. I’m not such a superstitious person, but the tour was delightfully atmospheric and really rather spooky!

Having enjoyed ourselves, eaten and drunk well, and partied over the first few days, we decided to have a more energetic day next, and to make the climb up Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing rocky hill, the last remnants of the ancient volcano that once stood where Edinburgh stands today…thankfully fully extinct today! The views across Edinburgh and out into the surrounding countryside are amazing, but the climb itself…oh my gosh! Maybe because I’m a bit out of shape (I haven’t been working out enough recently…), but it took me a long time, with regular rests and heavy breathing, to make it to the top. I’m proud that I made it all the way to the highest point, although my boyfriend probably could have climbed it twice by the time I got all the way up! Despite the effort, the views from the top make it all worth it.

The trekking had made us ravenous, but we still wanted to see more of what Edinburgh had to offer, so we headed out to Leith, by the sea. We had a late, hearty lunch at the Old Chain Pier Pub & Restaurant, and sitting by the gorgeous blue sea was a real treat, and even reminded me a little of my home town (although quite a lot colder!). It was a great way to wind down after such an active morning.

Sadly once we’d eaten we had to head back to the hotel, as we’d made a slight mistake in our bookings which meant we were checking out a day early! Thankfully we found another hotel without any trouble, and after such an action-packed few days decided to relax in our new surroundings that evening, and the next morning, before jumping on a plane and heading home.

I had been really excited to see Edinburgh after hearing so many good things about the city, and it didn’t disappoint. Hogmanay itself was an incredible festival and celebration – the Scots really know how to throw a party! The combination of chocolate-box historical beauty, and a lively, fun-filled atmosphere full of colour, art and excitement make it a perfect getaway for a long weekend. I liked it so much that I’ve decided to go back again, for the Fringe Festival in August, and I can’t wait!