Edinburgh's Hogmanay is a fantastic four day festival of events, music, street theatre, and outdoor activities. The Street Party sees one hundred thousand revelers from all over the world thronging the city centre. Headline acts this year include Paolo Nutini and Glasvegas.

Over in Glasgow the party gets started in George Square with an appearance by Scotland's very own Paolo Nutini (playing the same evening in Edinburgh). More artists will be announced soon, but don't wait too long as tickets are strictly limited . . .

Aberdeen

The city of Aberdeen will once again celebrate the coming of the New Year by hosting the ever popular Hogmanay Street Party, The programme will feature live music from the Castlegate stage.

Stonehaven

The Ancient Fireballs Ceremony at this fishing village near Aberdeen is one of the most unique Hogmanay festivals in Scotland. At the strike of midnight the High Street is lit up as sixty local fireball-swingers make their way through the town – swinging their fireballs above their heads – to the harbour where they are hurled into the sea.

The Burning of the Clavie takes place at Burghead at 6pm on the night of January 11 (the original Hogmanay before the calendar changed in 1660). The "Clavie" is a half barrel filled with wood shavings and tar. In the past, it would have been a herring barrel. Today, iron-hooped whisky barrels daubed with creosote are used.

The open-air Ceilidh on Hogmanay will be a spectacular event starting with a Torchlight Procession from Drumnadrochit Bridge where people of all ages follow the Zurich Pipe Band to the main car park where the fun begins.

Another one of the fire displays so popular in Scotland is Comrie's Flambeaux – an ancient torchlight procession originally performed to drive evil spirits from the village. Followed by a ceilidh in the centre of the village.

What better way to start 2008 than with a New Year's Day ceilidh in the street? Food, refreshments and live music.

The ideal way to blow away the cobwebs on New Year's Day, meet up with friends and wish them Happy New Year. The Blairgowrie race and Fun Run is 3.7 miles and is open to anyone up to 90 years of age. There will be prizes up for grabs, with soup and refreshments available at the Town Hall after the race.

Come along and see live bands playing at the Taybank's outdoor event.

Oban is getting ready for its biggest party yet to celebrate Hogmanay 2008. Headline acts Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Skerryvore will play to an audience of over 8000.

Ring out the old and bring in the new by joining 7,000 revellers at this year’s Hogmanay celebrations set against the fantastic backdrop of Stirling Castle.

Greeting 2009 will be iconic Scottish band Deacon Blue featuring Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh providing the headline entertainment to bid farewell to 2008 and bring in the Year of Homecoming. Plus support from Finlay MacDonald and his dynamic band.

The Hogmanay Bonfire in Biggar, dates back to pagan times when fire was worshipped and believed to ward off evil spirits. It has continued at Biggar for hundreds of years.

Every Christmas and New Year's Day the "Ba'" is contested in the streets of Kirkwall. The game has been played in its present form since about 1850, but is in fact much older. A looser form of football had occurred for a long time before 1850 on the "Ba' Lea", possibly dating back to Roman-occupied Britain.

The abiding influence of the Vikings is celebrated on the last Tuesday of January every year by the largest fire festival in Europe – "Up Helly Aa". After a torchlight procession of up to a thousand "guizers" through the streets, a full-size replica Viking longship is ceremonially burned. The guizers and onlookers then head off for a night of revelry.