Thousands gather in Edinburgh to celebrate the start of 2023
The first full Hogmanay celebrations for three years
Last updated 1st Jan 2023
Scotland celebrated the start of 2023 with the first full Hogmanay celebrations in three years in Edinburgh.
30,000 party-goers packed Princes Street to see fireworks light up the sky above the city’s castle.
80s duo The Pet Shop Boys headlined the entertainment on the stage.
Edinburgh City Council leader, Cammy Day, told Tay FM News: "If you walk up and down the high street now you'll see a huge number of people from here, across the UK and internationally, and we're proud they've chosen Edinburgh as their place to be for Hogmanay.
"Of course that will benefit the many bars, restaurants and service industries which have struggled over the past few years, so it's exciting to be back."
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reflected on the return to traditional Hogmanay celebrations following Covid restrictions.
"Thinking back to Hogmanay last year and indeed the year before that, we're reminded of just how far we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic," she said in a New Year's Eve message on Twitter.
Free events on 1st Jan
A third day of events are getting underway in Edinburgh today.
Al Thompson from organisers Unique Assembly told us: "We have a big free programme of events full of Scottish artists taking place in bars, cafes and venues across the city centre, and we want people to come out and explore that along with family events as well."
Royal tribute in London
In London a crowd of more than 100,000 people gathered along the Thames Embankment to watch 12,000 fireworks streak across the sky.
The display also paid tribute to the late Queen, featuring a voice recording from her and words from Dame Judi Dench, before honouring the King, together with a message from Charles about the need to preserve our planet's future.
Drones spelled out a positive message during the show, welcoming in "2023 with love from London" as fireworks exploded behind them.
Complete with music that included Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra, and hits from Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Cher, Dave, Rihanna and Calvin Harris, the show concluded with the traditional Auld Lang Syne.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was "delighted" that Londoners and visitors could once again join together on the banks of the River Thames to ring in the new year.
Walrus alert stops fireworks
One place which did not celebrate with fireworks was the North Yorkshire seaside resort, Scarborough.
An Arctic walrus, believed to be "Thor" - who was spotted on the Hampshire coastline earlier this month, arrived in the harbour earlier in the day.
Scarborough Borough Council cancelled the fireworks display on the advice of British Divers Marine Life Rescue after the organisation expressed concerns that it could cause "distress" to the mammal.