Hogmanay in Edinburgh

If you are looking for a fun filled New Year then not much beats Edinburgh’s Hogmanay! We first went in 2017 when our children were 5 & 4… I felt like Christmas & New Year were not being celebrated enough by the usual present orientated Christmas day at the in-laws and then nothing… until the back to work January arrived. So we decided that the time we get over Christmas & New Year should be maximised and we should try to create the best festive period for our girls within our budget and that’s when Edinburgh came up.

We have been 4 times 2017,18,19 & 2022 due to coronavirus pandemic. On our last visit we met up with some friends and decided that we will do something else for 2023 and start a new tradition.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has such an atmosphere, the Christmas markets are bustling, there is music playing, smell of mulled wine and bratwurst hotdogs.. The kids love it on princes street with the Christmas tree maze and the Santa express choo choo train within the fairground rides. We have had the ice-rink there twice during our visits.

You have the torchlight procession on the 30th December and various concerts depending on the age of your children. We did the ‘Bairns Afore’ concert which was from 5-6.30 and had a small fireworks display in front of the castle which was lovely for young families such as ours. The street party is 12+ and starts at 7pm.

We have travelled by train and car, parking is difficult in Edinburgh so you can park in Q-Park if you wanted to pay or waverley station car park. If you are looking for accomodation other than a hotel then airbnb is a good starting point. Royal Mile properties are in the best location but often come at a cost especially as Hogmanay is a peak date. We have stayed in properties around 20 minute walk and they are £200-£250 per night for a self catering 1/2 bed flat.

Eating out: Lots of restaurants including high street chains but booking is often recommended especially if you would like to get a table at the Ivy etc. We self cater most of the time just to keep costs down as much as possible plus with my daughter being on the spectrum she has a restricted diet anyway.

There is also Edinburgh Zoo to visit which has a light show on during December - probably best to check dates before arriving.

For the fireworks display at midnight we head up to Calton Hill which is a gentle stroll to an elevated position with views of the castle. It does get very busy up there so warm clothes and torches are advised.

We have loved the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh over the years but feel as a family its time to try something new but if you havent done Edinburgh at New Year - give it a whirl! You only live once.

Melissa