Scotland celebrates New Year’s Eve with the annual Hogmanay torchlight procession in Edinburgh. The procession is a major opening event of Edinburgh Hogmanay and typically leads crowds through the city toward celebrations near the historic center.
Participants carry flaming torches, creating a moving river of light through Edinburgh’s streets. The modern procession is linked to broader Scottish winter and fire traditions, while its present festival format has been organized as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations.
Scotland’s New Year customs also include first-footing, a traditional practice in which the first visitor entering a home after midnight is thought to influence the household’s luck. Singing “Auld Lang Syne” is another familiar part of Scottish and international celebrations.
The country answer is Scotland, not the United Kingdom as a whole, because the question identifies a distinctly Scottish festival and an Edinburgh event. Ireland and Wales have their own New Year customs, but neither is the location of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay procession.