Edinburgh is famous for the New Year's Eve torchlight procession associated with its Hogmanay celebrations.
The torchlight procession usually takes place on December 30, forming a dramatic lead-in to Edinburgh's wider Hogmanay program rather than occurring at midnight itself. Participants carry flaming torches through the city toward a concluding event, creating a river of light through the historic center.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is one of Scotland's best-known New Year celebrations. Its program has included concerts, street parties, fireworks, and cultural events, with major gatherings around the Old Town and Princes Street. The torchlight event draws on Scottish and wider northern European fire customs while also functioning as a modern civic festival.
Hogmanay is the Scottish term for New Year's Eve and its associated celebrations. The torchlight procession should not be confused with the midnight fireworks or with the separate Stonehaven Fireballs ceremony, held in another Scottish town on December 31.