Did you have a good Christmas – I hope so. Mine was a lovely traditional affair with family, pressies, turkey, tree, and TV. What we didn’t watch though was the Dr Who Christmas Special. We have quite enough jumping backwards and forwards in time at the castle as it is without seeing it on telly as well.

Just cross the drawbridge from the esplanade (created in 1809 as a parade ground) and you go through some 18th-century defences, then you pass on to a Renaissance palace and medieval kitchens. All this shares the same space on our volcanic crag that has been occupied time and again, by many different peoples, right back to the Iron Age – and probably far beyond.

It’s been a place where all kinds of celebrations have taken place down the ages. There were times when the castle welcomed the royal court for Hogmanay. One popular tradition at the great feast involved giving everyone a slice of Black Bun – a rich fruitcake in pastry – which had been cooked with a bean inside. The guest who found it became the bean king or queen for the day, and could order their fellow guests about. So the haughtiest of earls might have to pretend to be a lapdog or the prettiest lady in waiting could be made to grunt like a pig.

Hogmanay gifts also became very popular. In 1595 James VI gave his queen a pair of gold bracelets set with pearls and a large ruby ring. Thomas Erskine got a tablet of gold set with jewels and someone referred to as ‘the littill dutchma[n]’ was given a diamond ring. While we can’t offer you spectacular gifts, we can give you cut price entry to the castle from 6, January. Major improvements mean that the shops and restaurant are shut for refurbishment, so we thought we’d reduce the cost of entry. Instead of the usual entry price of £9 for adults it will be £7, while concessions will pay £5.50 (rather than £7.20) and children will be £4 instead of £5.40.

So, have a great Hogmanay – and we hope to see you soon.

Gillian Macdonald, Executive Manager