Hogmanay Fireworks Display Above Edinburgh Castle

At midnight on 31st December the clocks strike twelve and fireworks explode out of Edinburgh Castle to mark the start of a brand new year. Thousands gather at the foot of the castle, many at the Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party on Princes Street, for this annual display which can be seen from vantage points across the city.

Around 4.5 tonnes of fireworks will be fired off in the display from pyrotechnics maestro Darryl Fleming from Kimbolton Fireworks.

The 2010 fireworks display will feature a new rapid fire peacocks fan tails fireworks where 540 shots are fired in 10 seconds creating massive peacock fan tails in the night sky.

There will also be a new dark effect using a variety of state of the art fireworks, including large red chrysanthemum shells that will burst at certain points in the display to create a canopy of red stars. The stars then go dark before re appearing instantly as a much bigger galaxy of stars. The effect is created when the stars spread while they are dark and then they explode anew.

Following the fireworks, as revellers lock arms to sing Auld Lang Syne, high powered lasers will fill the sky with an aerial display choreographed to music.