Crowds enjoy famed Hogmanay events

Dec 31 2012

Hogmanay celebrations have kicked off in the capital as crowds of revellers gathered to bring in the new year.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to party on the streets of Edinburgh for the world-famous event.

Scottish rock band Simple Minds will headline the Concert in the Gardens, with performances also from The View and Bwani Junction.

The street party is expected to see up to 80,000 party-goers welcome in 2013, with performances from Mercury Prize nominees The Maccabees and Reverend and the Makers. There will be five live stages and countdown fireworks are being held every hour from 9pm until the midnight display from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.

Pete Irvine, artistic director of Edinburgh's Hogmanay, said: "I think it's going really well this year. Last night we had our opening event with a record crowd at the torchlight procession.

"It's really, really busy here tonight - probably busier than we've seen it in some time because the weather is so good. There's a moon in the sky, it's actually not cold and it's not raining. We've been very lucky with the weather and I think we are going to be very lucky with the crowd and all the performances tonight on many stages."

Early celebrations got under way in the city dubbed the home of Hogmanay on Sunday night with a torchlight parade.

A record crowd estimated at 35,000, including 7,000 torch carriers, were led by the massed pipes and drums and the Up Helly Aa' Vikings from Shetland. The procession made its way through the city streets to the burning of the effigy of a Viking boat and a spectacular Son et Lumiere display on Calton Hill.

Events will also take place on New Year's Day, including sled dog races at Holyrood Park and a triathlon which will see competitors swim 400 metres of the Royal Commonwealth Pool, cycle 11 miles around Arthur's Seat and then run 3.5 miles.

The Loony Dook, the annual dip in the River Forth at South Queensferry, will also take place.