Edinburgh Hogmanay 2009: Torches, Fireworks, and a Hip Replacement

Edinburgh, Scotland's Hogmanay Celebration - Eric carrying the torch with blogger mom in background

Every family trip seems to have one unforgettable story—the kind that begins in awe and ends in laughter. For us, it happened at the turn of a new decade, when a quick week in London and Scotland took a few twists worthy of their own travel diary.

A quick week in London and Scotland proved to be as eventful as it was memorable. Another whirlwind family escape from school and work, we leapt across the pond just over Christmas break, eager to cap our holiday with the famed Hogmanay celebration in Edinburgh.

The city pulsed with anticipation. We joined the throngs of revelers, bundled against the damp December chill, each of us handed a lit torch to carry through the cobbled streets. The procession moved as a glowing river of light, weaving through the Old Town and up toward Calton Hill. There was something almost ancient about it—thousands of flames flickering in unison beneath a dark Scottish sky. The smell of smoke clung to our coats, and molten wax dripped freely down our gloved hands, a small price for the magic of the moment.

We laughed our way up the hill, swept along by music, cheers, and that unmistakable Scottish warmth that turns strangers into friends. When the fireworks burst over Edinburgh Castle at midnight, we stood breathless—a sea of faces illuminated in reds, golds, and blues, ushering in a new decade with awe and joy.

But travel, as we’ve learned, rarely unfolds without its share of surprises. The quirky mishaps are often the ones that become the stories we giggle about years later. This trip was no exception.

Just days before, the world had been shaken by news of the Christmas Day “underwear bomber”—a failed terrorist attempt on a flight bound for Detroit from Amsterdam. By the time we began our journey home, security at Heathrow had tightened to an almost comical extreme. What began as routine screening quickly unraveled into chaos.

Our coats, still scented with torch smoke and speckled with wax, apparently registered as suspicious. Alarms went off. Bags were opened. Sniffer dogs circled. Then Scott’s artificial hip decided to join the show—setting off every alarm in the terminal. Within minutes, he was whisked away to a private room for inspection, his protestations muffled by the din of anxious travelers. I stood there, mouth agape, as he was asked to show the security team his surgical scar to prove he wasn’t concealing anything more sinister than a titanium joint.

Eventually, red-faced but laughing, we were reunited. Our fiery Hogmanay adventure had come full circle—from torches in the streets of Edinburgh to alarms in the corridors of Heathrow. Exhausted but safe, we finally boarded our flight, still chuckling over the absurdity of it all.

Looking back, that New Year’s trip was more than an escape; it was a lesson in joy, resilience, and the humor hidden in life’s detours. The memory of that night—the torchlight parade, the fireworks, the laughter, even the strip-search ordeal—still glows as brightly as those flames we carried through the Scottish night.

Sometimes it’s the mishaps that etch the deepest memories. Joy and laughter burn brightest when life tests our patience. Whether it’s dripping wax, long security lines, or a surprise search at Heathrow—each moment becomes part of the story. The light we carry through it all is what keeps us moving forward.