Edinburgh Hogmanay 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.

May 2018 be a good year for you all.

On Hogmanay 2017, we had dinner with friends, overlooking Edinburgh Castle, and the Ross Bandstand where the main entertainment is for the annual Edinburgh Hogmanay party. The building where over the years, we have had many lovely Hogmanay dinners is about to be refurbished, so it is unlikely I will get the chance to do this again.

I am putting up some photographs of the event, together with a few photographs taken a few days before Christmas, when Edinburgh is transformed into almost a ‘Festival of Lights’.

I hope you like the story in pictures….

Taken 20th December

I was at the dentist, and was wandering along Rose Street to meet my husband for an early dinner when I came across this. A bit of a surprise on a cold damp Edinburgh evening!

Of recent, Edinburgh has been increasing it’s Christmas / New Year activities. It has had a Christmas Market in Princes Street for quite a few years, including an ice rink, but the markets have now increased to take in Castle Street and a proportion of George Street. there are also many fairground rides available to the public in both Princes Street and George Street of all sorts. To give Edinburgh its due, it is trying really hard to make the city an interesting place for visitors and residents during December. Even though everyone is feeling a bit cold, they can find something to amuse them. Or scare them, as the shrieks coming from this ride as the chairs dropped!

Even some of our more venerable institutions have taken up the challenge to make their buildings stand out. Here is a picture of Teviot Row, part of Edinburgh University, a lovely old red brick building now decked in lights. It was the Students Union in my day, I think it still is…

Teviot Row

So fast forward to 31st December – Hogmanay as it is called in Edinburgh

These were taken as everyone was starting to gather, with an eerie looking castle in the background

A better view of the castle seemingly perched in the middle of the sky

 

The road continued to fill out up towards The Mound

In no time the street looked like this

Just before the fireworks started, at midnight, also known as ‘the Bells’, taken from the roof of the building directly opposite the Castle, you can see the stage and Princes Street Gardens gardens full, with again, the castle providing an eerie backdrop

 

I’ve never tried a video before. I managed to shrink the file, but failed miserably in trying to find a free package to cut the video down. A learning for the future…

And a couple of still shots…

Within just a few minutes the place was already starting to empty

I am sorry I didn’t take some photographs on the way home, as the whole street was littered with debris….

Then we had a quiet walk back to get our free night bus home.

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