My husband has a business trip in London the 1st week of January so we would like to go and see Scotland the week before that. It looks like we will be in Edinburgh from the 27th of Dec. to the 2nd of January. We know it will be the time of hogmanay but we were lucky to still find bookings at the balmoral and the scotsman. My husband was told the hogmanay celebrations get really crowded and wild so he would like to spend the last few days in St Andrews. My husband says we can stay in edinburgh if I would like but I personally do not know what to do. please help.

OMIGOSH, the Balmoral! In my dreams. It was renovated a few years ago and a gorgeous landmark in Edinburgh (very expensive). But back to the subject: you will not run out of things to do in Edinburgh. It's a fabulous and exciting city. You'll never forget your first glimpse of the Royal Mile looming over Princes Street or the Castle floodlit at night. There are enough places on the Royal Mile itself to keep you occupied for days. On the other side of Princes is the Georgian part of town, which is also lovely. The Scots are so friendly. If you get restless, take a train to Stirling or one of the charming towns nearby.

indistress:<BR>Why not go to google.com and type in Edinburgh. You'll get a plethora of things to see and do in Edinburgh.<BR>We spent a day there recently and are still kicking ourselves that we didn't allot more time. Oh well, good reason to go back.<BR>One thing we did do was to take the sightseeing motor coach tour that leaves every 30 minutes or so from Waverly Bridge in the heart of the CBD. You can get off where ever you please along the route and then reboard at your leisure.<BR>The Castle is a must. We spent most of the day there.<BR>John

Stay in Edinburgh. We were there for 5 days, during Festival, and would go back again, if given the opportunity. I ADORED Edinburgh, my very fave city, My husband loved it too! There is so much to do IMO. TimeOut has the best guidebook too, just for Edinburgh! I wish I was there for Hogmanay , too much fun. <BR>Judy

Stay in Edinburgh. it's a wonderful city even if everything's closed. And at the Balmoral you won't notice if it is.<BR><BR>Email me and I'll send you a couple of lists of things to do

I was keen on spending the hogmanay in edinburgh but after going to the hogmanay site realized there will be 100,000 people there. I already booked in the caledonian and I still have not cancelled my room booking (incase I change my mind). I do not drink so shall I still go?

Hogmanay is fabulous - but St Andrews will also be crowded and festive over New years. Hogmanay is celebrated everywhere in Scotland - it is just that Edinburgh is the most famous one.<BR><BR>Sure it gets crowded - but everything stay pretty much under control because every single person in the city center will have tickets and the gates are controlled. Even if you don't drink you would enjoy it. There are many outdoors stages wich all kinds of music played all night, street dancing, fireworks, etc. And wil a room at teh Balmoral you will be right there . . . .

Edinburgh city centre will absorb 100,000 no problem. At the Balmoral you could watch most things from your hotel window. You'd still see a lot from the Cally. You can enjoy the ambience, the atmosphere and the whole thing without a drink.

hi, you should definitely stay in Edinburgh, there are so many things to do and to visit, and it must be wonderfull at that time of year. the balmoral is a lovely hotel, and there you will not realize the crowd of people in the city.but I think there will not be so many. <BR>Things to visit:Holyrood Palace, Castle,Dean Gallery, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (this is just a wonderfull place to spend a cold day),Scottish National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Scotland,Fruitmarket Gallery, Stills Gallery, Royal Museum of Scotland ( I love that museum), National Museum of Scotland(in the 6.floor,there is the famous Tower Restaurant,it`s meant to be one of the best in Edinburgh), Museum of Edinburgh,Arthur`s Seat, Old College,Calton Hill( wonderfull view over the city), the writer`s museum, the brass rubbing centre.<BR>You see there are so many possibilities to spend your time, that you might wish to stay longer.<BR>I think ,when you once have been to Edinburgh you will have the wish to come back.<BR>You should have dinner in The Witchery, it`s the most romantic restaurant in town. I wish you a nice stay

Spending one day in Edinburgh-what should we see-I have already seen Holyrood(sp?) any suggestions. Thank you

The day I got back from Edinburgh, a friend asked if I was lucky enough to see the underground old city....... and I hadn't - HUGE disappointment. Apparently the city as it is now was built upon the old one, which is now underground!! I have heard you can arrange this through City Hall - wish I hadn't missed it - later saw a documentary on it on Discovery Channel - VERY cool!

Don't feel too bad, Deborah, this &quot;underground city&quot; thing is partly hype. There are two underground sites that can be visited: Mary King's Close (essentially a buried street) and the vaults under South Bridge. It's not as if there is a vast network of underground streets and the current city was built on top.<BR><BR>Mary King's Close is currently closed for repairs. The tour company likes to tell you a lot of stuff about ghosts and paranormal phenomenon, since the Close was a plague site. Personally, I think Edinburgh has enough documented drama in its history without adding this kind of gloss to it, but then I'm a skeptic. (I know that I'll get attacked for saying that.)

Dear madam,<BR><BR>As a Scotsman living near Edinburgh, I feel somewhat obliged to offer some help.<BR><BR>If you have never been to Scotland before I am sure you will enjoy the experience and will cherish the memories.<BR>Firstly, the weather. If you are from a nice warm part of the world bring an umbrella and warm clothing. It tends to be, shall we say, a bit brisk at that time of year.<BR>Secondly, Hogmanay is quite an entertaining time of year to be in Scotland. It gets a bit crowded in Princes street during the evening's festivities but there are controls to avoid over-crowding and there is really plenty of space. The setting is magnificent too, with the castle and other old buildings lit up spectacularly. If you are staying in the Balmoral (which is at the end of Princes St) you will get a grandstand view of it all.<BR>Make sure you book your travel tickets within the UK well in advance as lots of people are on the move then. London is a one-hour flight away from Edinburgh. St Andrews is about an hour's drive from Edinburgh, so it's an easy day's trip. Stirling, too, with it's magnificent castle (better than Edinburgh )and historic sites. Edinburgh has lots to do too. <BR>I could go on but I know you'll find more than you can fit in your short trip, so you'll want to come back<BR>Have a look at www.visitscotland.com for some useful info.<BR><BR>Have a great visit !<BR><BR>DBB<BR>