Have you booked that trip for New Year's Eve yet? Please don't tell me you're just going to do the standard hanging out with family and friends at home? Why don't you just bite the bullet and travel to some place you have never been?. I know of a brilliant place for a New Year's Eve celebration. That place is Edinburgh in Scotland. So what happens there I hear you ask? It is home of the annual Scottish New Year's festival, Hogmanay. I am hear to tell you that Hogmanay is a fantastic experience and a must-do for everyone on New Year's Eve. Whether it is the people, the food or the party itself, if you just get off your butt and book a trip there you will have a brilliant time. Did I tell you that the word Hogmanay means the "last day of the year" in Scottish? Well I guess not, but anyway, Edinburgh is easily one of the best places to welcome in the New Year. Personally I think it is not only the best in the UK but easily the best in the world.
So what is the origin of Hogmanay celebrations? Historians believe that the Hogmanay celebrations are deep-rooted from the Vikings who treated the eve of the New Year with special interest. There are plenty of theories to explain the origin of the word "Hogmanay". The most notable ones reckon that the word is either Flemish, Scandinavian, or even Anglo-Saxon in origin.
I have been to Edinburgh to celebrate Hogmanay for the New Year and I can confidently say it is the best festival I have ever been to. The fireworks in the night skies, the dancing and the music among other things, make the atmosphere in Edinburgh for Hogmanay simply electric. Im not kidding, but when I was at Hogmanay for New Year's Eve I felt I was on a different planet and just wanted the party to continue forever. I am here to tell you that there was a truckload of people in the main Edinburgh Centre close to midnight. Someone told me there was over 250,000 partygoers from all around the world there. My Aussie friend, Mike, and I had the biggest New Year's Eve nights of our lives at Hogmanay.
But hey, you have to sleep somewhere sometime after New Year's Eve has finished and Edinburgh has some great places to stay. If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, whether hotel or hostel, but remember to book early to get the best prices. Mike and I got a fantastic deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle. However, we only got that deal because we planned ahead and booked early for the full 4 nights. I can highly recommend the Sheraton Grand Hotel, it was just amazing. The service was always first rate and the staff were extremely knowledgeable. This helped us have an amazing time for the 4 day Hogmanay festival.
When you book and go make sure you try some traditional Scottish foods whilst you're at Hogmanay. The cold night means that the food should be served hot and even though it isn't for everyone, you should give Haggis a try. Ok, I will admit that it isn't for me but maybe just give it a go for yourself and see what you think. If you like sweets make sure you get some shortbread, as I had plenty of shortbread and it was the best I have ever had. There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is the drink of Scotland. Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world. I actually think Scotch is my new favourite spirit! I just love really good Scotch now once I have had the taste of the good stuff.
We noticed plenty of tours groups at Hogmanay, so if you're looking at travelling with a whole group of people then you should check out some of these companies that organise Hogmanay tours. Travelling as a group can be the best experience ever if that is you're thing, but Mike and I decided we would just book everything ourselves and go it alone.
There was plenty of things happening at Hogmanay, but there is nothing like singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight in the country where the song originated. It really was an amazing experience.
Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.
So what is the origin of Hogmanay celebrations? Historians believe that the Hogmanay celebrations are deep-rooted from the Vikings who treated the eve of the New Year with special interest. There are plenty of theories to explain the origin of the word "Hogmanay". The most notable ones reckon that the word is either Flemish, Scandinavian, or even Anglo-Saxon in origin.
I have been to Edinburgh to celebrate Hogmanay for the New Year and I can confidently say it is the best festival I have ever been to. The fireworks in the night skies, the dancing and the music among other things, make the atmosphere in Edinburgh for Hogmanay simply electric. Im not kidding, but when I was at Hogmanay for New Year's Eve I felt I was on a different planet and just wanted the party to continue forever. I am here to tell you that there was a truckload of people in the main Edinburgh Centre close to midnight. Someone told me there was over 250,000 partygoers from all around the world there. My Aussie friend, Mike, and I had the biggest New Year's Eve nights of our lives at Hogmanay.
But hey, you have to sleep somewhere sometime after New Year's Eve has finished and Edinburgh has some great places to stay. If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, whether hotel or hostel, but remember to book early to get the best prices. Mike and I got a fantastic deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle. However, we only got that deal because we planned ahead and booked early for the full 4 nights. I can highly recommend the Sheraton Grand Hotel, it was just amazing. The service was always first rate and the staff were extremely knowledgeable. This helped us have an amazing time for the 4 day Hogmanay festival.
When you book and go make sure you try some traditional Scottish foods whilst you're at Hogmanay. The cold night means that the food should be served hot and even though it isn't for everyone, you should give Haggis a try. Ok, I will admit that it isn't for me but maybe just give it a go for yourself and see what you think. If you like sweets make sure you get some shortbread, as I had plenty of shortbread and it was the best I have ever had. There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is the drink of Scotland. Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world. I actually think Scotch is my new favourite spirit! I just love really good Scotch now once I have had the taste of the good stuff.
We noticed plenty of tours groups at Hogmanay, so if you're looking at travelling with a whole group of people then you should check out some of these companies that organise Hogmanay tours. Travelling as a group can be the best experience ever if that is you're thing, but Mike and I decided we would just book everything ourselves and go it alone.
There was plenty of things happening at Hogmanay, but there is nothing like singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight in the country where the song originated. It really was an amazing experience.
Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.
About the Author:
FOMO Travel, the events and festival travel specialists, has developed a new site that provides an extensive array of information and advice for New Year's Eve in Edinburgh for Hogmanay, including travel options, travel tips, party spots and other activities.
