A year long programme of events to celebrate Scotland's world-class culture and creativity will run throughout 2012.
Visitors to Scotland can experience the country's cultural and creative vibrancy at first hand, through a series of events and festivals. This will range from outdoor activities to arts, culture and music festivals, Highland games and food festivals.
Highlights will include:
Edinburgh's Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scottish word used to describe celebrations to mark the passing of the Old Year on December 31 and the arrival of the New Year on January 1. Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations are world-famous with thousands of visitors from around the globe taking part in a giant street party.
Celtic Connections
The annual Celtic Connections festival is held in Scotland's largest city Glasgow every January. The event celebrates folk, roots and world music and attracts visitors from throughout the world. The 2012 festival will feature over 2,000 artists and 300 events across 18 days. Glasgow has produced a wealth of talented muscians, has many music venues and has the accolade of being a UNESCO City of Music. 19 January - 5 February 2012, Glasgow
Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art
Packed with events, talks and tours as well as major world class exhibitions, some by artists living in the city and others by leading international figures, the Festival showcases Glasgow's art scene at its liveliest and best. 20 April - 7 May 2012
Edinburgh's Festivals
In August 2012, at the same time as London hosts the Olympic Games, Edinburgh, only 1 hour away, will be hosting the world’s greatest arts festival - the Edinburgh Festival. There are 12 major international festivals taking place in Edinburgh throughout the year. Every August, Edinburgh’s population more than doubles as more than 1 million people swarm to the city to perform and spectate. Commonly known as the Edinburgh Festival it is in fact made up of seven festivals in August and five that run at other points across the year.
