Unique Hogmanay
People celebrate the arrival of the new year all over the world, but only in Edinburgh can you do it in such distinctive style. Here are just some of the reasons the three-day event stands out from the crowd.
1. Torchlight Procession (30 December).
You'll think you've stumbled upon some ancient pagan ritual. Imagine 20,000 people brandishing flaming torches and processing slowly through the city centre before climbing Calton Hill for a firework display and son et lumière. The atmosphere is heightened by the sound of massed pipes and drums and the presence of Vikings from Shetland's Up Helly Aa fire festival. In truth, there's nothing pagan about it, but it's certainly the kind of one-off event you won't find anywhere else. You can buy torches in advance or on the night and become part of a fiery sea that cascades down from the Old Town and along Princes Street. It's a simple idea, but the effect is stunning and it establishes the mood of communal good will that extends throughout Edinburgh's Hogmanay.
2. Candlelit Concert (31 December).
Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles' Cathedral dominates the central part of the High Street. Primarily gothic in style, it has fragments dating as far back as the 12th century. Having served as a cathedral since the 17th century, it is steeped in history and tradition, making it an especially atmospheric venue for the annual Candlelit Concert. The highly popular event – a sell-out last year – showcases St Giles' Cathedral Choir and the St Giles' Camerata as well as several brilliant young soloists. They'll be singing some of the most awe-inspiring music of Handel and Mozart, in part to the accompaniment of the formidable St Giles' organ.
3. The Keilidh (31 December).
The ceilidh is a great Scottish folk tradition that persists to this day, a chance for a whole community to join in with a night of music, song and dance. Here at Edinburgh's Hogmanay, the tradition has been reinvented as the Keilidh and it's the largest outdoor event of its kind in the UK. Taking place on the Mound Precinct from 9pm and extending beyond the midnight bells, it is an evening of non-stop hooley fun on a purpose-built outdoor dance floor. Don't worry if you're not up to speed with your Gay Gordons and your Strip the Willows: the ceilidh caller will take you through the jigs and reels move by move. The whole event is powered along by the hip-swinging sounds of Hugh MacDiarmid's Haircut, Ceilidhdonia and the Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience.
4. The Loony Dook (1 January).
For the past 25 years, the more foolhardy among us have realised the best way to shake off that Hogmanay hang-over is by taking a dip in the icy waters of the Firth of Forth. Taking place ten miles outside Edinburgh at South Queensferry in the shadow of the Forth Rail Bridge, the Loony Dook is a charity event in which ordinary people take an unseasonable swim, many of them in fancy dress, much to the delight of the many onlookers. They round off their chilly morning exercise with a Dookers Parade at 11am before hitting South Queensferry's pubs, cafes and restaurants.
5. The New Year Games (1 January).
Seeing as 2012 is the year of the Olympics, Edinburgh is getting into competitive mode from the off with an afternoon of games in the Old Town. You've got to choose your team – there are the Doonies and the Uppies – then head to a series of venues where Scottish artists have created novel games to play. Every time you win, you get a token for your team and, at the end of the afternoon, everyone comes together in the Grassmarket, where more games have been taking place, to find out which team is the winner. It's just one more of the quirky events that make Edinburgh's Hogmanay unique.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay, 30 December 2011–1 January 2012.
