Although Edinburgh's shops remained closed, except for toy stores and taverns, Traill’s Temperance Coffee House may have opened for business on New Year’s Day.

Although it would not have been possible to order a glass of whisky as John Traill ran a temperance house and would probably have disapproved of the amount of drinking which took place to mark the annual event.

The streets were packed with well-wishers who had been celebrating the arrival of the new year since midnight, making their way, armed with bottles of whisky, shortbread and currant bun to first foot friends and relatives.

As January the first was a public holiday, the One o’ Clock Gun did not fire on New Year’s Day, allowing the gunners to take part in the festivities.