Auld Lang Syne in the Midst of Rainy Hogmanay...

The build up of New Years and the incredible celebrations it must entail seems so often to be a dismal let down. Year after year I have attempted planning some huge way to ring in the new year, and all too often I've ended up doing it sitting on the couch with left-overs from Christmas - watching others celebrating it on TV.

It is true that you never seem to experience the great things around where you live, and though I've been outside in my time in Edinburgh when Hogmanay was under way - I've never properly spent the night out on the streets or enjoying the atmosphere of what is in actuality one of the best new years parties in the world.

This year, being my last in Edinburgh, I was determined to get out and see what all the fuss was about in this Scottish thing they call Hogmanay.
I've spent New Years Eves all over the world - in foreign cities, and banging pots on the front porch in Tennessee. I even once spent it on a plane of the Atlantic, ringing in the new year with an entire German football team. But this year in Edinburgh was - by far - the best most encompassing celebration I have ever yet experienced - and I have walked into 2008 feeling as if all is right with the world.
I can not recommend this way to spend the holiday more.

For Scots in Edinburgh - the celebration of Hogmanay is a full four day event, beginning on the evening of the 29th with the Torchlight procession and ending with the fireworks over the 7 hills of Edinburgh at midnight on New Years Eve.

There are many events during this time in the city - some of which I won't review here as I did not make it to them myself - but check out the website: http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/

For specifics of all that is going on, as it does change each year.

The Hogmanay street party is something not to be missed, and there is little better way to ring in the new year, than on North Bridge in the rain with hundreds of other Scots all singing the Burns' song in celebration of the clock tolling midnight.

Quick Tips:

Tickets to the street party sell out very quickly. If this is part of the celebration you want to attend - keep a close eye on the website for when they go on sale and buy them up as quickly as you can. You don't want to have to buy them second hand or at the last minute, as the tickets which would normally be around a fiver go for closer to £40.

Also, the music, events, and even where the actual street party is blocked off each year changes - so be very certain of where you are going on the night, and make sure you have the appropriate ticket for doing so. Don't - for example - make reservations at a restaurant that is with in the blocked off area, as you won't be able to get in with out a ticket.

It should also be mentioned that this is one event which is good to plan ahead on. Edinburgh is not a big city, comparatively, and things fill up very quickly - especially the very nice restaurants and high demand bars and hotels. Book way in advance if you wish to stay in the cities accommodation (I recommend Holiday Let flats if you can afford it or if there are more than one or two of you travelling. This can be a very effective way of making the money stretch in what is a very costly time to stay in the city.)

Also, make a decision on where you want to eat - if you want to go somewhere nice - as soon as you can and book a table. They will probably want a deposit for the night, but it is well worth it. The restaurants in Edinburgh really 'shine up their shoes' for Hogmanay - and most of them have a special Hogmanay menu. But they do fill up quickly.

Though Edinburgh is a friendly city - and tends to be jolly even during all the revelry of such events, it is good to keep in mind that there will be a Lot of drinking taking place, and a fair few drunk people wandering the streets - if this is an event you want to share as a family. Staying in the main areas is a very good idea at this time.

Also, dress for the weather. It will likely be very cold and raining.

Best Way To Get Around:

Traffic gets crazy during any holiday or festivity in Edinburgh because it's such a small place and even a small influx of people for an event can make a huge difference to the already horrendous traffic.

This is amplified during the Hogmanay Street Party because so much of the city is blocked off. I highly recommend you don't even consider driving - and if you must drive into the city from somewhere else, park outside (the parking lots down by Holyrood Park are a good place as it's not an unpleasant walk up the Royal Mile to get to the city centre) because both driving and parking in this city can be a nightmare at the best of times.

The buses do run until a certain time - but the streets were largely blocked off by ten or eleven. As reliable as they are, I would still avoid using any kind of public transport on New Years Eve.

Walk if you can - if you're going to the street party and if the weather allows. If the weather is bad (as it was this year, there was a heavy, steady drizzle of rain in the cold and as we had opted for the fancier night on the town; walking wasn't an option) you can take a cab.

Cabs in Edinburgh are usually very good - but the traffic combined with how busy they are added to the sneaky way they jack up the price for holiday nights leads me to recommend walking if you can. We took a cab ride that would normally have cost us a fiver which was double that. It was a very short ride - but because so much of town was blocked off, and because the cab driver already had £3.40 on the meter when we stepped in, it was quite a pricy ride.

So walk if you can, take a cab if you can afford it.

It should also be noted that there are plenty of guys with rickshaws riding around the city, particularly on the Royal Mile if you feel so inclined. I haven't ever used one myself so I’m not sure what they're prices are like, but they will certainly be less than a taxi.

There are many ways to do any celebration - and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is no exception to that. So many revellers spent the night on the streets in many different variations of casual to formal that you can do the holiday however you choose.

However - my husband and I chose to make it a formal event this year seeing as it would be our last in this grand capitol city - and so it is on a bit of a formal tour I will take you of this Scottish New Year.

Somewhat breaking with my 'On a mega budget' review’ the restaurant we spent the evening at was the sublime Maison Bleue.

For my taste - this restaurant was the absolute perfect combination of relaxed and formal. Having been to some of the more elite and Michelin Star restaurants in Edinburgh - I was both surprised and pleased to find such superb quality in a restaurant with out the pretension.

Deciding to dress in our most formal of formal evening wear - I was at first afraid I was going to be a bit over dressed for the night. The entrance to this restaurant is somewhat casual for the price and what I had heard of the place - a small lounge like room made of stone where the semi-casually dressed staff buzz in and out and people sit on low chairs enjoying the oddly placed bar - right near where you wait for a table. A long wait here might be uncomfortable - and I highly recommend you make a reservation. (Which you will have to do for a Hogmanay dinner.) But after only waiting about 5 minutes we were whisked up a flight of stairs and sat at our table in a beautifully ambient room - all in cool tones and candle lit, but still with a slight rustic feel to remind you you were eating in Scotland.

We had a window seat which allowed us to watch the revellers outside all evening, and even though it seemed at first that we would be too close the adjoining party - it never felt cramped.

The restaurant buzzed for the evening, but was never loud, or too stiff and formal. It was comfortable - even in our formal wear and my kind of perfect. The service was excellent though not stuffy, and far superior to the Michelin Star service I received in Martin Wishart.

The fixed menu was £35 per person, a wonderful price for the quality and the night. It had a wonderfully Scottish theme with Smoked Salmon tartar with caviar or haggis in whisky sauce for starters.

My Aberdeen Angus may have been the best cooked steak I have ever had, and my husband's venison was the essence of perfection.

The menu even came with two Loch Fyne Oysters - a Must try if you enjoy them - and a glass of kir royal.

The night was perfect in every way - I could not recommend enough.

The pinnacle, and final event of the four day Hogmanay celebration all comes together for the big finally of the fireworks display.

This is New Years celebrations at its best. Where ever you people may have been for the evening - what ever kind of party was their particular cup of tea, and no matter how rowdy or calm and formal it has been up to this point, this is where everyone comes together to enjoy the festivities together in the most pleasant and friendly atmosphere I've had the pleasure of experiencing at a big, city centre event.

We finished our fancy meal in Maison Bleue on Victoria street right at 1140, which left just about the perfect amount of time to wander up along the Royal Mile and down towards North Bridge.

The streets were littered with the festivities of the night, and there was a slow yet excited procession of people coming out of houses, restaurants and pubs - in all manner of dress and levels of tipsiness, all making our way to the same spot.

Whenever you are in a city at an event which invites lots of drinking - even in a city used to holding its liquor - you always expect a little trouble and unpleasantness and prepare yourself accordingly.

To my extreme delight, there was absolutely none of this on Hogmanay this year. We walked down the street with everyone else, and with the exception of a few drunken and very happy people we passed, there was no unpleasantness at all.

The mood was too good - everyone too happy and though I do recommend you still stay alert in such a crowd where there is so much drinking and so many people - I did not have the slightest problem, or even worry.

At about ten to midnight the bridge suddenly filled with people of all age, and type. A family with children on their shoulders were directly behind us, a middle aged group in kilts to our left, very happy tourists on our right, and a large group of excited University students infront of us.

At midnight as we saw from the clock above the Balmoral the fireworks began - from the castle in front of us, the far hill at the west end, and even behind us on Calton Hill. The sky above Edinburgh was alight in the pouring rain with the sparkling lights while everyone cheered and swayed and pretended to know the worlds to Auld Lang Syne.

With a sip of whisky and a kiss, we met the turning of the year along with hundreds of other Scots - all drenched and happy in the pouring rain, and received several hugs and Happy New Years from total strangers.

As the fireworks died down we met it with one last uproarious cheer and all began to make our way back down the bridge towards home or whatever party called to us next. A single piper played us home.

Deciding to make it a somewhat formal night on the town for New Years eve this last year we would be spending in the capitol of Scotland, my husband and I set out in dressy evening wear and wanted a place to have a bit of a drink before dinner that was close, and suited to our attire.

Though not the kind of place I would normally go for a drink as it's a bit pricey and most evenings filled with office people from the numerous offices in the New Town area, The Standard can be quite a nice place to stop for a pleasant drink.

The bar is located almost at the bottom of Howe Street, just a few minutes walk up to George Street and the centre of the city. As we were coming from the Broughton area, this was a perfect 'on the way' stop for us.

We also wanted to avoid a bit of the crowd in the very city centre which would be filling every bar and pub, we made our way into the sleek and pleasantly lit bar.

There is almost a bit of a classy diner feel to this bar/restaurant, with low light, illuminated bar, and lots of nicely placed mirrors.

The bar does fill up quickly, though, as there's not a lot of space and even less seating.

The Standard also serves food, though I have not tried any of it myself, and have heard that it is mediocre for the price. (£12.50 for a 2 course lunch which is the same price you would pay at The Witchery and more than you would pay at the Grainstore.)

The service is not below average - although it's always hard to rate the service of a bar on a night like New Years Eve where everything goes a bit crazy. We managed to get drinks with out too long a wait, and even though they were pricey - they had a very decent wine selection.

The downstairs is like a classy sports bar - and most areas are for standing with your glass - which does however make for a rather sociable environment.
There is also added space upstairs for dining.

One of the most unique and stunning sights of the entire Hogmanay festivities is the annual candle 'Torchlight Procession.' More than any other event that springs to mind this one is good for the whole family - and can be both watched (for free) or participated in (for a very small amount).

The dates and locations of the procession are subject to change every year, so be sure to keep an eye on the website (http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/whats-on/torchlight-procession)
For the specific dates and times of the event on the year in which you wish to go.

In 2007 - the procession took place on the 29th of December at 6:00 and began at Parliament Square on the Royal Mile.

This is not an event I have ever participated in myself, to my vast regret. After seeing it pass several years I deeply wish I had joined in the procession and highly recommend that if you are up to a slow walk up hill that you do become a part of this grand viewing of passing candles that can be seen from all over the city.

It is one of the most profound things to see in the city of Edinburgh at any time, but is not with out a celebratory atmosphere. The group begins on the Royal Mile and works its way across the bridges, down on to Princes Street and eventually up Calton Hill. (Which in itself has the single best view of the city of Edinburgh, either at night or in the day time)

It is estimated at almost 20,000 participants in previous years - which may give you some idea of the size and beauty of this spectacle. If you would just like to watch (for free of course) there are many good locations around the city. Stop into the Scotsman lounge on North Bridge for a drink and watch them pass in the comfort and warmth of a bar with large glass fronts for a great view. Or stand out on Princes Street to watch them pass up to the hill. Or if you feel energetic - climb Calton Hill before them and watch the length of the procession up to meet you. (This is particularly good for photographic opportunities.)

If you book online ahead of time the cost is a mere £4 for a torch to join in. Or if you wait for the night the cost is £5. Still a wonderful price to pay to be a part of such an event.

Once atop Calton Hill the festivities take on a livelier tone. Also the home of the annual 'Beltane Festival’ Calton Hill knows how to do a party - and the Torchlight Procession ends with the burning of a wicker Viking ship in honour of the highland culture of Scotland.

Even better to add to this magnificent night of revelry and a sight not to be forgotten is the fact that all of the proceeds from the candles purchased go to charity. You really could not ask for a better way to ring in the new year.