Need Advice - Hogmanay in Edinburgh

Hiya!  Ok, there are those of you (you know who you are ) who will say -- "Avoid Edinburgh at New Year/Hogmanay like the plague!! Too many crowds, etc!"  I hear ya.

But we're still planning to go...So, any suggestions on good places to stay -- not too far from the action?  (Not necessarily smack in the middle.)  Hotels, B&Bs, etc?  Doesn't have to be dirt cheap but not 5-star either.  Anyone?  Any ideas?  Ppl who know the area or have been?

Hiya!  Ok, there are those of you (you know who you are ) who will say -- "Avoid Edinburgh at New Year/Hogmanay like the plague!! Too many crowds, etc!"  I hear ya.

But we're still planning to go...So, any suggestions on good places to stay -- not too far from the action?  (Not necessarily smack in the middle.)  Hotels, B&Bs, etc?  Doesn't have to be dirt cheap but not 5-star either.  Anyone?  Any ideas?  Ppl who know the area or have been?

I can't advise you on any hotels/B&Bs because I lived in Stirling and Glasgow, respectively, while I was there, but I will say that you should plan to book as early as possible!  I've heard a lot of stories about folks sleeping in the train station because they have nowhere else to go.  Also, the street party is a ticketed event to control the crowds, and I think you have to enter yourself into a lottery to get your hands on those.  There are a number of pubs that have Hogmanay parties (the one I worked for recently did) with a balloon drop and champagne toast, so you may want to consider that as an option as well.

When I went to Hogmannay we didn't have tickets, nor did a lot of people. We just got ino a pub just off Princes St early in the evening (like about 6pm) and stayed there til just before midnight.

I can't advise you on any hotels/B&Bs because I lived in Stirling and Glasgow, respectively, while I was there, but I will say that you should plan to book as early as possible!  I've heard a lot of stories about folks sleeping in the train station because they have nowhere else to go.  Also, the street party is a ticketed event to control the crowds, and I think you have to enter yourself into a lottery to get your hands on those.  There are a number of pubs that have Hogmanay parties (the one I worked for recently did) with a balloon drop and champagne toast, so you may want to consider that as an option as well.

Thanks hummingbird.  We will definitely have booked accommodations for a place to stay or we won't be going (no sleeping in the train station for this old woman ).  I will talk to DH about looking into the event tickets, etc.  We went to Amsterdam for New Year 03/04 & I loved it -- the Dam Square festivities were all free & open to the public, etc...but hubs said we should go somewheres different.

When I went to Hogmannay we didn't have tickets, nor did a lot of people. We just got ino a pub just off Princes St early in the evening (like about 6pm) and stayed there til just before midnight.

Any good ideas on where to stay?

When I went to Hogmannay we didn't have tickets, nor did a lot of people. We just got ino a pub just off Princes St early in the evening (like about 6pm) and stayed there til just before midnight.

I think hummingbird was talking about the street party - from your post it looks like you did what she suggested later in her post - camped at a pub.

Any good ideas on where to stay?

Sorry I was staying at my friend's relatives place that time.  But when I went to Edinburgh in summer I stayed in the uni dorms which they rent out in the summer months. I don't think they do that in the winter holidays though.

Here is a good website that tells all about it.......

http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/

It looks like some of the tickets are available online already.........

Apperantly staying as close to Princes street is good.......

I have lots of website to book hotels if you would like them Carolyn b......or I can give you quotes if you tell me how many nights and how many ppl and what you want to pay for it..........

Thanks hummingbird.  We will definitely have booked accommodations for a place to stay or we won't be going (no sleeping in the train station for this old woman ).  I will talk to DH about looking into the event tickets, etc.  We went to Amsterdam for New Year 03/04 & I loved it -- the Dam Square festivities were all free & open to the public, etc...but hubs said we should go somewheres different.

No problem!    I still can't believe that with all the time I spent in Scotland, I never had the chance to go to a proper Hogmanay celebration.  The one year I didn't go home for New Year's, my sucky boyfriend at the time insisted on going to his mate's lame-o New Year's party, where I drank way too much and fell asleep in a chair!  I'm determined to do it properly at some point.

Whatever you do, BUNDLE UP! It can get pretty darn cold up in those parts. 

No problem!    I still can't believe that with all the time I spent in Scotland, I never had the chance to go to a proper Hogmanay celebration. 

I've lived here for years and have no intention of going to Hogmanay in Prince's Street.  My husband - a native - went.  Once.  When he was 20. 

Tickets are mandatory b/c of crowd control needs, but sharing the street w/a bunch of drunken uni students in the freezing cold isn't my idea of a good time. 

Stayed in a B&B once back in 2000, but the gal sold it.

I regularly book clients for work, but unfortunately the hotels we use are not what you'd call economy. 

No problem!    I still can't believe that with all the time I spent in Scotland, I never had the chance to go to a proper Hogmanay celebration.  The one year I didn't go home for New Year's, my sucky boyfriend at the time insisted on going to his mate's lame-o New Year's party, where I drank way too much and fell asleep in a chair!  I'm determined to do it properly at some point.

I went to the one in George Square in 2003 a few days after I met my fiance. It was fun but freezing, and I somehow managed to lose my scarf, my hat AND my guy's scarf in one night.  I was so pumped from it I stayed up til 6am with his friends.

I think the one in George Square is better than the Edinburgh one.
But i am too old and fed up for either of them, these days!

I think the one in George Square is better than the Edinburgh one.
But i am too old and fed up for either of them, these days!

I seem to remember ice skating in George Square being an option a few years back.  Is it an annual thing?  That might be fun for Carolyn to check out if she's got a bit of extra time.

expat & otterpop -- I knew you knew that I...hee hee...oh well nevermind.  You didn't disappoint.

MeShell -- We were checking out that website the other night.  Is it running in my mind that you're a travel agent?  If you have some good website booking tips, by all means... Or PM me if you prefer.  Also interested in recommendations -- like this place over that, etc if there's anything like that.

hummingbird & Honeybee:  Yeah -- we really had to layer up for chilly New Years in Amsterdam too!  But it was simply fab.  On the Eve itself, it was just colder than...  Then on New Year's Day was the most beautiful light snowfall -- people were ice skating by the Rijksmuseum, it couldn't have been more picturesque.

I regularly book clients for work, but unfortunately the hotels we use are not what you'd call economy. 

Give me a range & I can figure if our economy can handle it.