1: Bring some light into the dull winter tonight at the Torchlight Procession through the historic heart of Edinburgh. Marking the end of the Year of Young People 2018, young pipe and drum bands will lead the procession down the Royal Mile into Holyrood Park where it will form the distinctive outline of Scotland lit by their torches. Also tonight in the capital, the traditional candlelit concert in St Giles’ Cathedral this year will capture the splendour of the court of Versailles with Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum, famous for its iconic opening fanfare.
2: Tomorrow night is Hogmanay and across the country there will be ceilidhs, fireworks and all sorts of shenanigans to bring in the New Year. In Edinburgh the celebrations start early with Bairns Afore in West Princes Street Gardens. Massaoke are the live band who will play before fireworks are set off at 6pm. Later Franz Ferdinand headline the Concert in the Gardens while Gerry Cinnamon, Judge Jules and Snap! will rock the Street Party as some of Scotland’s best ceilidh bands entertain at the Ceilidh under the Castle.
3: In Glasgow there is a Hogmanay Gala at the Royal Concert Hall tomorrow night and a Hogmanay Hootenanny at the National Piping Centre, while DJ Colin McArdle, The Soul Kings, The White Band and Spinal Chord will be keeping the crowds dancing in Merchant Square before the festive balloon drop at the bells. In the west end the Ashton Lane street party will again take place under the twinkling street lights. Earlier in the day JK Rowling fans will be able to make their own fantastic beasts at Craft Daft on a Raft next to The Stables bar on the Forth and Clyde Canal near Kirkintilloch.
4: Aberdeen, Inverness and Stirling all have big celebrations to bring in the New Year. Inverness’s festivities will be hosted by comedian Craig Hill and will feature Calum Mackenzie Jones and the Trad Project, Blazin Fiddles and Tide Lines with a short break at midnight for a spectacular fireworks display.
5: In Aberdeen the musical acts live on stage at Schoolhill are local favourites Rachael Bisset and Scott Mellis, followed by Celtic rock band Gleadhraich and culminating with ABBA tribute band, Thank You For The Music before the midnight fireworks display.
6: Welcome New Year in style in Pitlochry at the annual Scottish New Year’s Day Street Party. Held from 1pm to 4pm, this is organised by volunteers with crowds flocking to Atholl Road, Pitlochry’s main street, which is closed to traffic for the afternoon. Thousands attend the party each new year, many travelling from overseas and all over the UK. Each year they munch their way through 2500 sausage rolls and 54 gallons of soup which are provided free with a donation to fund next year’s event by local butchers the Macdonald Bros.
7: Blow the cobwebs away on January 1 with the Loony Dook at South Queensferry. In the shadow of the Forth Bridges, the dippers in fancy dress, scantily clad or even fully clothed from the night before will brave the chill to raise money for charities while shaking off their Hogmanay hangover. Dookers will march the length of South Queensferry High Street led by The Noise Committee drummers before launching themselves into the freezing Firth of Forth. Spectators are welcome to cheer on the dookers at various points along the route or down on the beach. This year, one winner will be chosen from the thousands of entrants to be crowned the winner of the Loony Dook Fancy Dress Competition 2019.
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