By chance, we made it to the Torchlight Procession in which we, with 15,000 other people, processed through about two miles of the main streets with torches. We walked up Calton Hill and watched a giant Viking ship and a wooden stag burn like the biggest bonfire you've ever seen. They then set off the most incredible fireworks show I had ever seen until that night.
On New Year's Eve itself, we witnessed the biggest, friendliest, and wildest street party in the world. They closed off most streets in the downtown area and all of Edinburgh turned out, most with bottles in their hands, to dance, sing, drink, watch concerts, and party through the night. There were four or five stages set up with bands playing simultaneously. We ended up on a bridge at midnight, and watched two elaborate and identical fireworks shows on each side of the bridge, one at Edinburgh Castle and the other at Calton Hill. Strangers wished us a happy new year with shouts and handshakes and hugs.
This video gives you a great idea of what it looked like. It's a bit long, so if you get bored, skip to the last 30 seconds or so.
Yes, it was really like that.
2 comments:
If everyone wasn't smiling I might have confused the festivities for a riot. This is great!
Wow! What a cool way to spend New Years!
I just sat around and ate delivered pizza.
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