Being a tourist in your own city is something that has always fascinated me. The excitement leading up to Hogmanay in Edinburgh, with International Travel Bloggers visiting the city for New Year celebrations and further travels planned to destinations across Scotland - wow I was over the moon. I was also the last formal travel blogger on the #Blogmanay Travel Bloggers list and within seconds and very quickly was welcomed by the organisers, travel bloggers, sponsors and those involved.

I have been living in Edinburgh for over four years now and what I really looked forward too was viewing old sights, places, programs and events from the eyes of a #Blogmanay Travel Blogger and as a tourist for the first time - this would educate me about a city that has so much to offer to anyone visiting. Edinburgh is a city which acts as one of the gateways to enter Scotland from abroad. To start a journey visiting Scotland in Winter is certainly exciting and promises something to look forward too.

Along with the Hogmanay celebration excitement, I was also looking forward to the Year of Natural Scotland 2013 to commence in a few days time. My biggest thought and discussion with fellow bloggers was to select the best areas (in my niche) and focus my posts for the New Year around the eight pillars of sustainability which makes the Year of Natural Scotland 2013. The city of Edinburgh certainly did not let me down.  Edinburgh has so much to offer any and everyone visiting: from history to art, from local cuisine to sites of significance and ceremonies going back generations.

The Countdown to Hogmanay

Historic Edinburgh : The Torchlight Procession

Focusing on one of the themes in the Year of Natural Scotland is ‘celebrations of historic places and traditions’. The Torchlight Procession in Edinburgh marks the official opening of Hogmanay and starts the three day celebrations (commencing on the 30th of December) leading up to the first day of the New Year. This event is an annual fixture which starts in the evening when the whole Edinburgh city centre lights ups. The torchlight procession is a magical fire display of torches which is reminiscent of the ancient Scottish customs and traditions. 7,000 fire torches light up the streets in which over 35,000 people make these streets look like a river on fire flowing through the city. The procession started from the National Museum of Scotland at Edinburgh’s old town, making its way to North Bridge and finishing at Calton Hill for “Son et Lumiere & Firework Finale”.

26 Viking Warriors from Shetlands lead the procession accompanied by pipes and drums the whole way. The Viking warriors replicate the burning of their warship practice of Shetland’s Lerwick Up-Helly-Aa (Europe’s largest fire festival) on this day. Once on Calton Hill, the Shetland Vikings assemble the warship on a secure wooden platform and use their fire torches to set flames to this warship. This event is just spectacular and the long wooden warship turned into a massive bonfire.  The flames bid farewell to the year going by and with the delight of the crowds welcome the New Year accompanied with a wonderful firework display.

This event is free to attend, but collections from the sales of the fire torches go to support local charities. One of the greatest honour of the whole #Blogmanay trip was to be officially presented with a torch and be a torch bearer with all the #Blogmanay Travel Bloggers.

(Video courtesy: Peter Parkoor of Travel Unmasked)

The Grand Finale : Ceilidh, Street Party, Concert in the Gardens & the Castle Fireworks 

After the night’s amazing fireworks display at Calton Hill and the burning of the warship by the Vikings and the Torch Procession, the #Blogmanay Travel Bloggers and myself geared up to look forward to an amazing New Year’s Hogmanay celebration. We gathered at the Edinburgh Press Office on Princes Street: perfect views from the seventh floor overlooking the Street Party, The Castle and all the events that were taking place that evening. The weather was good and all the people were blessed with not being soaked with rain while parting. The street party crowds started gathering with music playing in various venues from the Concert in the Gardens at Ross Bandstand hosting Bwani Junction, The View and Simple Minds. The Ceilidh stage venue was called The Keilidh at the Mound Precinct with artists from Ceilidhdonia, High McDiarmid’s Haircut and Brenchin City Rollers getting people tapping to scottish dancing. A special Scottish stage was in full swing at Frederick Street with artist Lau, Admiral Fallow and Shooglenifty performing traditional folk music.

The Waverley Bridge stage venue had performers from Piper, OK Social Club, The Maccabees and Reverend and the Makers. Finally it was the Rew1nd3r Stage at North Bank Street /Mound Place where DJ swiss, VJ’s Buttercup and Pixel made the street party dance to their music. This Rew1nd3r stage created the world’s biggest New Year nightclub through the entire length of Princes Street. This year it was special as fireworks started every hour from 9pm onwards for a few minutes waiting for the final finale at 12pm. As the countdown approached - artists Simple Minds (at Concert in the Gardens), Shooglenifty (at the Scottish Stage), Brenchin City Rollers (at the Keilidh venue) and DJ’s casting tunes to the latest hits.  The fireworks erupted as the clock struck 12 - ”Happy Hogmanay’‘ allover with people wishing with hugs and kisses and welcoming 2013.

With stunning firework display from Edinburgh’s Castle, the most captivating scene was that everything stopped for a few minutes after the clock struct midnight.  People dancing on YouTube’s 1billion hit sensation PSY’s Gangnam Style, live band performance and Edinburgh went into traditional historic warmth with people joining hands and burst out singing ”Auld Lang Syne”.  This traditional New Year’s song lyrics originate from Scotland’s greatest national poet - Robert (Rabbie) Burns.

This Hogmanay’s celebrations was one with traditions and values where people from different parts of the world came to celebrate Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and welcome themselves to the historic country of Scotland.

As a local, I was proud to be part of the Hogmanay celebrations to welcome 2013.

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This Blogmanay campaign is brought to you by Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and is supported by VisitScotland, ETAG, Edinburgh Festivals, Haggis Adventures and Skyscanner. The campaign bloggers were sourced and managed by iambassador.

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