BRIAN DONNELLY and MARTIN WILLIAMS


Click here to watch video of the celebrations in Glasgow.

Click here to watch video of the celebrations in Edinburgh.

Click here to watch video of the celebrations in London.


Tens of thousands revelled in the rain last night as Scotland, home of Hogmanay, greeted 2008.

While inclement weather welcomed many, party-goers were relieved conditions were better than last year when high winds and rain forced the cancellation of celebrations in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling.

Nearly 100,000 people in Edinburgh, up to 17,000 in Glasgow and thousands more all over the country took to the streets to see in the New Year.

The usual freezing winter night air was replaced with what the Met Office described as a mild night of around 6 to 11C. But crowds in Glasgow and Edinburgh were soaked for much of the night.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay had a shaky start with the cancellation of X Factor winner Leon Jackson, who pulled out due to ill health.

The 19-year-old is suffering from tonsillitis and has been forced to cancel his performances over the next two weeks.

But a surprise appearance by Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher more than made up for the disappointment, appearing at the end of a set by indie rockers Kasabian, the headline band, playing guitar in three songs.

Scots rock band Idlewild kicked off events there and were followed later by another Scot, Calvin Harris.

The streets of the capital's Old and New Towns filled slowly all evening as excited visitors gathered.

Tony Whittle, 27, from Brisbane, Australia, is staying there for three weeks. He said: "We know how to party and this is a party."

Arnie Allan, 21, from Oxford, said: "My girlfriend has been studying here for three years and this is the first time we've stayed for New Year. We had to do it at least once."

The outdoor event stretching from East Princes Street Gardens to The Mound was offering "a modern twist" on the New Year, and the open-air hooley had two live stages also with contemporary and traditional Scottish music.

It had music from Australian piper Mark Saul, Bella MacNab's Ceilidh Band and Salsa Celtica. Elsewhere in the city centre were King Creosote from Fife, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Kissmet and New Order's Peter Hook. The Hoog, an indoor party, also had three stages of live music at the Assembly Rooms.

At the stroke of midnight, party-goers were treated to the traditional gunfire on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, followed by 160,000 fireworks set off from the seven hills around the city.

In Glasgow, it was plain blue jeans rather than the traditional kilt that was the order of the night for the city council-organised £10-a-ticket event - but the saltire was heavily in evidence.

The Mercury Music Prize-nominated darlings of the indie rock scene The View from Dundee headlined with their apt hit Same Jeans in tow. They played the last set of 2007 for the 17,000 sell-out George Square crowd, exiting just before the midnight countdown and the now traditional fireworks from the roof of the City Chambers. Ten minutes before the bells a spin of Deacon Blue's classic Dignity bought the house down.

Lined up before that, and after DJ Tam Coyle got the party started, was a performance from the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and the rousing acoustic pop of acclaimed teenage singer songwriter Amy Macdonald, from Bishopbriggs, who said: "It is amazing to be playing such a massive gig at home."

One visitor proud to wear a kilt was American Cunningham Moore, a 45-year-old financial adviser who had never been to Scotland before and was determined to sample "every drop of Scottishness".

Mr Moore, from Bridgeport, Connecticut, said: "I love Scotland and you guys know how to party, so I am told.

"I have been to St Andrews golf course, had a single malt, a Glenlivet, and have just had some fried battered haggis and wow, that is awesome. I am sure it would go down well if it were sold back home. My friends who I am staying with near Loch Lomond say I should now try one of your deep-fried Mars Bars. I think I will."

It is thought that more than 70,000 people will have partied in the New Year in Glasgow, with parties in the pubs and clubs in the city's fashionable Merchant Square again proving a hit.

In London, hundreds of thousands saw in the New Year at a huge fireworks display by the River Thames, while millions more raised a glass at parties in the comforts of their own homes across the country.

An estimated 350,000 people were estimated to have packed the city's streets to watch the 10-minute display at the London Eye observation wheel after Big Ben's chimes herald the start of 2008.

In Cardiff, circus performers, acrobats and fireworks entertained the crowds at an event in the grounds of the Welsh capital's castle.

More than 5500 people were expected to attend an open air New Year's Eve concert in Belfast, with Ocean Colour Scene topping the bill at the city's Custom House Square.

But thousands of rail passengers travelling around the country for the celebrations were facing delays yesterday because of engineering work being extended by a day.

The work affected Virgin Trains to and from the West Midlands, Scotland, north Wales and north-west England. As many as 60,000 travellers were expected to use the line yesterday.

Scotland's largest free Hogmanay event was at Aberdeen's Castlegate where headline act Travis had the support of Sandi Thom, Celtic rock band Albanach, and German band The Taste.

More traditional celebrations were planned in Stonehaven where one of the last remaining midwinter fire festivals was to take place.

Residents were expected to march along the old town High Street for the Fireball Festival, swinging fireballs to ward off the darkness of winter and welcome in the New Year.

The Proclaimers were to play at Stirling Castle Esplanade along with the Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band.

In Perth, the Hogmanay event was to be hosted by comedian Bruce Fummey and feature music by singer-songwriter Jim Malcolm.

In Oban, 5000 people were to mark the end of the Highland year of culture.

Despite its star-studded line-up, tickets for the Edinburgh events were still available right up until the last few days in contrast with previous years when they had sold out well in advance.