Edinburgh, The New Town

In December the main street in the new town, Princes Street, is lit up like fairy land with lights on the trees, a giant ferris wheel, German markets, an outdoor ice-rink and a huge fun fair.

New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay in Scotland. The celebrations go for three days, starting on the 29th with a Viking Torchlight Procession. The procession this year involved about 10,000 people carrying torches in a march through the old town, along Princes Street and then up to Calton Hill where they make a bonfire from a Viking ship and set off fireworks above it. It was spectactular!

The next night there was an Indian themed Ceilidh and concert in the street. The aim was to make the world's longest "Strip the Willow" down the mile long street.

The last day of Hogmanay was a bit disappointing. High winds meant that the fireworks had to be cancelled at the last minute. Earlier in the evening we went to a brass concert at St Giles Cathedral followed by dinner at a Thai restaurant and then wandered into the park to watch the fireworks that didn't happen.