The full programme for what is predicted to be one of the biggest, best and loudest Millennium celebrations in the world were announced on Thursday.

BBC Scotland's Morag Kinniburgh: "The Millennium celbrations in Edinburgh promise to be special"

The party gets under way on 27 December with a torchlight procession from St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile to Calton Hill.

There will also be street theatres, a march involving 1,000 pipers and a pop concert featuring Texas, The Mavericks, Del Amitir and the Bay City Rollers.

When the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, a spectacular four-minute fireworks display will light up the night sky.

Ticket limit

Details of the itinerary of celebrations, which end on 2 January, runs to 60 pages.

The popular Princes Street party will be limited to 180,000 ticket holders.

The black market for the passes is rumoured to have already hotted up with some being offered for �200 a piece.

People have been able to bid for two tickets via postal application to Edinburgh City Council which is contributing �600,000 to the �2.7m cost of the events.

When it began seven years ago, Edinburgh's Hogmanay attracted 50,000 visitors.