Edinburgh hosts the annual Hogmanay torchlight procession that traditionally opens its New Year's Eve festival.
The procession is a large torch-lit event through central Edinburgh, with participants carrying flames toward an area near Holyrood Park. It forms part of Edinburgh's broader Hogmanay program, which also includes concerts, street celebrations, and a midnight fireworks display.
Edinburgh's setting gives the event a distinctive backdrop: the route and surrounding cityscape are framed by the Old Town, Calton Hill, and Arthur's Seat. The festival has become a major international visitor event, although Scottish New Year's customs are celebrated throughout the country.
Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee also hold New Year's events, but Edinburgh is the city specifically associated with the famous Hogmanay torchlight procession. The procession is an opening event rather than the midnight countdown itself.