Scotland's climate is generally cool and wet. It is influenced by the North Atlantic Drift, a warm sea current from the Caribbean, which keeps Scotland's coast ice free in winter.
The climate is oceanic, with no extreme variations or exceptional events like tornadoes, droughts or widespread floods, but the day to day weather can vary enormously and unpredictably, and is a national source of daily conversation.
December 31st is the official holiday all over Scotland as it is the New Year's Eve or the Hogmanay. New Year in Scotland is celebrated with fervor and enthusiasm on January 1st. Hogmanay is also called 'night of the candle'. The idea of celebrating Hogmanay dates back to the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. These celebrations were inherited from the Vikings who celebrated Yule in the medieval period.
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is situated in a striking location on the country's eastern coast, in the Lothians. The city itself is perched atop rocky crags and extinct volcanic cones. This unique, dramatic location has been continuously inhabited longer than most other parts of northern Europe.