Edinburgh is famous for its New Year or Hogmanay celebrations. Hogmanay is a major holiday in Scotland and the celebrations last for 4 days. On New Year's Eve there is a huge street party, attended by thousands of people from around the world. Live music acts perform on stages along Princes Street, the Royal Mile and George Street. Festivities start on the night of 29th December with a torchlight procession starting from Parliament Square on the Royal Mile. Thousands of people take part, creating a ribbon of flame as the procession winds its way through the city to Calton Hill. If you want to take part you will need to book online and pay ?4 to carry a torch. You could wait and pay ?5 on the night, but the number of torches is limited. Other events include street theatre performances at the Night Afore celebrations and a keynote concert in the Gardens at which top groups perform. December 31st is the night of the main event and for ?5 you can purchase a Street Party pass and take part in events all over the city centre. The evening starts at 8pm and continues until the early hours of the morning with a spectacular firework display on the stroke of midnight. Full details of the events are not released until one month beforehand. Activities are also planned for New Year's Day. The famous Loony Dook takes place at around noon at the Moorings in South Queensferry, near to the Forth Bridges. Participants take a brief dip in the river Firth. Wetsuits are not allowed and fancy dress is encouraged. To find out more about the Hogmanay festivities visit either www.edinburghshogmanay.org or www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk.

You can get to Edinburgh by car, coach, rail or plane. The budget airlines RyanAir and EasyJet both offer frequent flights to Edinburgh airport from London Luton. If you are not travelling from London check the BAA website to find your nearest airport. There is a regular bus service from Edinburgh airport into the centre of the city. Edinburgh is served by GNER trains on the east coast and Virgin on the west coast. Both stop at Waverley station in the centre of Edinburgh. You can get cheap train tickets, but this is unlikely around New Year. Also it is sometimes cheaper to buy two singles rather than a return. Megabus and National Express run regular coach services to Edinburgh. Silver Choice also operates an overnight shuttle between Edinburgh and London. This is probably your cheapest option, but the journey time of 9 hours or more can be tiring. Whether you choose to go by plane, coach or rail you will need to book early to ensure that you get a seat. You can travel to Edinburgh by car, but the Royal Mile is pedestrianised and it is not easy to park. Once in Edinburgh it is easy to get around the city by taxi or bus and you can buy travel passes for the buses.

There is a variety of accommodation in Edinburgh ranging from budget to expensive. You can rent one, two or 3-5 bedroom apartments at prices that range from ?44.00 to ?85.00 per person per night. Some hotels in the city centre offer special Hogmanay deals. There are also 3 hostels in Edinburgh offering budget accommodation, although prices are much higher during the Hogmanay period than at other times of the year. There is also bed and breakfast accommodation and you can get discounts for booking online. At the other end of the market Edinburgh has a number of luxury hotels such as the Balmoral Hotel. These offer all the extras associated with luxury hotels, such as spas, room service and restaurants.