Scotland Braces for 2026 as Snow Warning Hits New Year
Scotland faces severe winter chaos as a yellow weather warning brings snow, ice, and gales while Hogmanay events welcome 2026 amid travel disruption.
Scotland counts down to 2026, but the new year begins with weather warnings
As Scotland prepares to welcome 2026, some residents will be bracing themselves for disruptive weather, with a yellow warning for snow and ice in place across much of the country.
Heavy snow and strong winds are forecast from 6:00 am on New Year's Day until midnight on Friday.
The warning affects northern and north-eastern Scotland and includes the Northern Isles, the Hebrides, Angus, Perth and Kinross, and parts of Argyll and Bute.
The annual Nippy Dip in Stonehaven on New Year's Day has already been cancelled due to safety concerns, and NorthLink Ferries has warned that some services may be disrupted from Friday to Sunday.
Stonehaven and District Community Council said: "Given the latest weather forecasts, including the weather warning, we have to prioritise safety, so we have reluctantly taken the decision to cancel this year's Nippy Dip."
Stonehaven's Hogmanay Fireballs event will still go ahead, with around 10,000 people expected to attend.
Around 40 men and women will parade down the High Street swinging flaming balls around their heads, before the balls are thrown into the harbour.
According to tradition, the ceremony wards off evil spirits from the past year and brings good fortune for the year ahead.
Thousands of people from around the world will attend Edinburgh's famous street party, which culminates in a traditional fireworks display above Edinburgh Castle at midnight.
Organisers will be saving money this year as they will be using some of the fireworks purchased for last year's cancelled event.
The event was cancelled for the third time since 2003 due to bad weather, forcing 45,000 people to make alternative plans to welcome in the new year. Will Evans, director of Titanium Fireworks, told BBC Scotland News that this year's show will be six minutes long, featuring around 10,000 fireworks, along with a specially commissioned soundtrack.
He said an initial "teaser" display at 9 pm would celebrate Scotland.
"It's a really positive vibe to kick off the evening," he said. This year, indie rock band Wet Leg will headline Concert in the Gardens, and Scottish support acts Hamish Hawk and Lucia & the Best Boys will also perform.
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In addition, partygoers can choose from three different music channels to dance to at the Street Party Mega Silent Disco.
Al Thomson, co-director of Unique Assembly, which organises Edinburgh's Hogmanay, said: "Everything is looking great. It looks like there might be a bit of a breeze, but we're confident everything will go ahead as planned."
A temporary airspace restriction will be in place over Edinburgh city centre from 6 pm on Hogmanay until 2 am on New Year's Day.
It will be an offence to fly any unmanned aircraft below 2,000 feet above sea level within one nautical mile of Edinburgh Castle. These restrictions include drones.
Hundreds of people will take part in the 40th New Year's Day Loony Dook in South Queensferry.
The brave swimmers will don fancy dress before taking a dip in the icy waters of the Firth of Forth.
The Dook, a Scottish word meaning to dip or plunge, began on January 1, 1987, when a group of friends went for a swim in the icy water to cure their hangovers. Edinburgh's annual torchlight procession kicked off the Hogmanay celebrations on Monday night, as thousands of people marched from the Meadows to Edinburgh Castle, waving flaming torches.
Organizers said around 15,000 people took part, with another 10,000 spectators.
A revised service will operate on Friday, January 2.
Details of the changes, including the last trains on New Year's Eve, are available on the ScotRail website.
Heavy snow and strong winds are forecast from 6:00 am on New Year's Day until midnight on Friday.
The Met Office said up to two inches (5cm) of snow could fall in lower areas by Friday, and up to four inches (10cm) in some places.
Higher ground could see up to eight inches (20cm) of snow, and up to 12 inches (30cm) on the hills. A warning has been issued for "significant" drifting snow due to strong winds.
The Met Office said lightning could be another hazard and added that frequent and heavy snow showers could cause travel disruption.
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