Viking dress, bagpipes as Scotland starts Hogmanay party

EDINBURGH Thousands of people, some dressed as Vikings carrying flaming torches, marched through Scotland’s capital of Edinburgh as a procession kicked off the country’s world-famous New Year celebrations.

Around 15,000 participants, led by bagpipers, walked through the city’s historic centre late Monday as Hogmanay festivities returned after being cancelled last year due to bad weather.

Several thousand more watched as the procession wound its way along cobbled streets, marking the official start of four days of celebrations to welcome the arrival of 2026.

“It is something that we use to light up the dark Edinburgh nights,” said Al Thomson, director of the Hogmanay festival.

“Its rituals go back to (a) kind of pagan festivals. It’s just an amazing spectacle,” he told AFP.

An estimated 100,000 people from dozens of countries are expected in Edinburgh for the New Year events, the centrepiece of which is a street party and fireworks display on December 31.

Last year, organisers cancelled the showpiece on public safety grounds due to heavy rain and strong winds.

“I’ve been planning it since two years and I’m glad I could make it this time,” said Chaytan Mishra, who travelled from Bristol, in southwest England.

Hogmanay is the Scots term for New Year’s Eve and is considered one of the most important holidays in the country, traditionally taking precedence over Christmas.