My partner is set on us visiting Scotland. Our scheduled time-off is between Christmas and a few days after New Years. I've read about Hogmanay, and it feels like spending it in Edinburgh is going to feel like we're stuck and nightmare of a tourist trap. But all of my other wild ideas (stay in Portree!?) after further reading sound unwise* given the time of year (weather etc).
Any advice?
*edited as suggested
I live in Skye, and wouldn't choose to spend that time of year in Portree! Many restaurants will be closed and there really isn't much going on. While main roads are usually kept clear and the island doesn't get a huge volume of snow at lower levels, the roads between Skye and mainland settlements can be very sketchy. I'd stick to Edinburgh or somewhere closer to the central belt unless you are prepared to get stranded by weather. The most predictable thing about our weather is its unpredictability.
The word irresponsible is too strong. The locals travel around in the winter, after all. Unwise may be a better word.
You could go up to Kirkwall, Orkney where the Town Pipe Band plays out the old Year and plays in the New Year marching round the town. Then on New Years Day there is the fun of the Ba' Game (the Uppies and Downies)- https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/beginners-guide-to-the-ba/
BUT there is a real risk of neither flights or ferries being able to get you back off for a few days.
Or Stonehaven (south of Aberdeen) for the Stonehaven Fireball Festival- https://www.tripsavvy.com/stonehaven-fireballs-new-years-festival-1662599
Being on the East Coast that is pretty weather resilient.
Oban apparently does a big Hogmanay festival, and Stirling has a fireworks party at the Castle.
Thank you both (Skyegirl and isn31c). That's good info, Skyegirl that I'm not missing out on Portree. Some of your other posts have definitely help me not get to excited about Skye in January hah.
And isn31c, currently Oban was what I was considering instead; although the fireballs do sound cool! I'm hoping Oban can give us the quiet more charming west scotland experience, with some low key new year celebrations/festivenes, while allowing for the potential to make some day trips if the weather is cooperating.
I think Oban might suit you well. To be totally up front on New Years Day there be no ferries to anywhere, no trains and no local or long distance buses running. Everything except local buses restart on 2 January. So on that day you aren't going anywhere outside town without a rental car.
They have too much of a marine climate to normally get too much snow in Oban. But what that means is that one year I did Fort William for Christmas. And the entire 5 days it rained, and it wasn't just rain, it was monsoon type rain totally incessant. Now that was, even by their standards, unusual to say the least but I don't want to give you any kind of false expectations.
I, personally, almost always stay in the Royal Hotel, Oban. They do special festive packages (what I did at their Fort William Hotel)- https://strathmorehotels-theroyaloban.com/package_category/festive-breaks/
Now I know one person's great hotel is someone else's nightmare but just a suggestion.
Glasgow is an option too. You still have a Hogmanay street party, but with less hype and more locals.
I think isn31c's idea above might be a good one; a hotel with entertainment laid on. Crieff Hydro is another place that springs to mind. At least you can work off a hangover with spa activities there too.
Going out into a remote area or a very small town means you probably need to make your own entertainment to a certain degree, other than possibly some festivities at the bells. Scotland pretty much shuts down on the 1st January and 2nd is also a bank holiday. You'd be on your own in a lot places as far as getting a sit down dinner, or maybe even supplies from the local shop on the 1st. At least in Glasgow you'd have some signs of life.
