Ticket news, updated 29 December:  Tickets are still available for the main event on Hogmanay.  The family event on 30 December is now sold out. 

For a barnstorming party the weather definitely can't spoil, look no further than the Hoog, the celebrated Hogmanay ceilidh held in the splendour of the city-centre Assembly Rooms. For many years this party was known as the New Year Revels: it's back in 2008 with a new name, a perkier image, and a new family event the night before.

The Hoog is, first and foremost, a proper Scots jig. Ceilidh bands top the bill, and Scots attire is much encouraged by the organizers. It's a classy and dressy occasion - no jeans and T-shirts here - and even those who don't turn out in full Highland rig are asked to pimp their DJ's with the odd bit of tartan and heather.

The massive Assembly Rooms on George Street have room for three stages.  Much-feted rock-ceilidh outfit Teannaich will bring their modern style to the massive Music Hall - the dances will be familiar, but the tunes won't be.  Meanwhile, popular trio Blaze in the Bothy should fill the magnificent Ballroom with a more traditional theme... and if you can't quite face dancing the night away, there's also a disco to offset the ceilidh bands and some chill-out rooms to boot.

If it all sounds just too good to be true, hold on to your hats as we tell you the prices: £52.50 a ticket for the main event.  Despite the prices, tickets sell fast, and will certainly be gone long before Hogmanay.  You can book your tickets online, or pick them up through the usual Hogmanay outlets.

Oh, and if you're wondering - the curious new moniker's taken from the Flemish Hoog min dag ("Big Love Day"), one of numerous competing theories on the origin of the word Hogmanay.

The Family Hoog

In a brave, if possibly doomed, attempt to make ceilidh dancing cool to the teenage generation, the Hoog's running an extra family event this year.  The night before the big one - that is, on 30 December - the Assembly Rooms are once again throwing open their doors, this time welcoming adults and kids alike to jig along to local band Whisky Kiss.

The good news about the Family Hoog is that tickets are much cheaper.  You can buy single tickets for £15 (adults) / £7 (under 16), but the best value comes with the family tickets, which admit 4 for £40 or 5 for £45.  Again, you can book your tickets online, or pick them up through the usual Hogmanay outlets.

There's no age limit - either low or high! - but the Hoog organizers do suggest 9 years as a sensible minimum for stepping onto the dance floor.