A Happy new year can be full of cheer: bear the post-Christmas blues

The festivities are over, it's cold and dark and the credit crunch is due to become a full-blown recession. You might think there's not a lot to look forward to in the new year, but you'd be wrong. FAY SINCLAIR finds out there's plenty of reasons to be cheerful in Edinburgh in 2009

SHOPPING

It might not be good news for the big stores, but the bargains and sales of the last few weeks are set to continue. And with three new stores opening in the city, the news isn't all about closures.

The long-awaited opening of Edinburgh's first Primark store is due to take place this spring. The cut-price clothing chain recently confirmed it is to take possession of the store at 91 Princes Street. Shoppers have previously had to travel to Dunfermline, Stirling or Glasgow to take advantage of Primark's low prices and campaigns have even been launched on sites such as Bebo and Facebook calling for it to open in the Capital.

Merle Brown, fashion stylist and writer, thinks the brand will be a welcome addition to Princes Street. She says: "Primark is a perfect stop for cheap, high fashion items and I am sure people will flock to it."

And the Evening News can reveal fashion lovers will be welcoming Edinburgh's first Mango clothing outlet, which will be located in House of Fraser's young fashion department in the West End.

Merle adds: "Mango is a hugely popular brand and I am sure Edinburgh people will lap it up."

Budget supermarket chain Aldi is also planning a move to Edinburgh in 2009, with work to convert the former Somerfield store at Gorgie Park Road due to start in spring.

The Gorgie store is expected to open this summer, with plans for a further 12 stores across Edinburgh.

SPORT AND FITNESS

Want to shift a few Christmas pounds? All new members joining in January at Edinburgh Leisure will get free access to more than 500 fitness classes, 16 gyms and ten swimming pools across the city until the end of February.

Another chance to sample sport for free is being offered at an open day at Port Edgar Marina and Sailing School. The event on May 2 is expected to attract more than 500 people keen to try out sailing, kayaking, powerboat trips and yacht trips.

Or join the record numbers registered to take part in the 2009 Edinburgh Marathon on May 31.

For spectators, Sunday sees Hibs and Hearts meet in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup in a match televised live, with another local derby scheduled for March, while the Edinburgh International Youth Football Festival will see teams from around the globe compete in the Capital from July 27 to August 1.

And for those not so keen on the beautiful game, comfort yourself with this thought: with no World Cup or European Championship, 2009 will mean an unusually football-free summer.

It's going to be a good year for rugby fans, with Scotland playing Wales, Italy and Ireland at Murrayfield in the Six Nations in February and March and a rugby league "super weekend" at Murrayfield on May 2-3. The stadium will also host the Heineken Cup Final for the second time, on May 23, and the Edinburgh 7s world rugby final for the third successive year on May 30-31.

This year also sees Premier League Darts in Edinburgh for the first time. Fans old and new will get the chance to watch legends of the game such as Phil "The Power" Taylor and Raymond "Barney" van Barneveld fighting it out at the Royal Highland Centre on February 12 in the quest to be named champion.

EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

It's what Edinburgh does best – and there's plenty on offer in 2009. Outdoor events include regulars such as the Royal Highland Show which is expected to attract more than 115,000 visitors in four days. The show – Scotland's largest outdoor event – takes place at Ingliston on June 25-28. And Gardening Scotland, a celebration of gardening and outdoor living, also takes place at Ingliston, on May 29-31.

One-off events include one of the largest clan gatherings in history as part of Homecoming 2009. Holyrood Park will host a magnificent Highland Games on July 25 and 26, then on the Saturday evening clan members will parade up the Royal Mile and take their seats on the Castle Esplanade for the spectacular Clan Pageant.

And, of course, there are the festivals, kicking off with the Edinburgh International Science Festival in April, through the summer's ever-expanding range, from the Fringe to the Mela, via books, art, films, jazz and blues – and even spirituality and peace.

The 60th Edinburgh Military Tattoo in August looks set to be the best yet. It will be staged 25 times at the Castle Esplanade, with more than 1000 performers, including Tongan musicians, an all-male Canadian choir and the Indian Navy, as well as entertainers from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.

For those with a keen interest in politics, there is also the annual Festival of Politics on August 18-22. And there's more good news in September when guided tours of the Scottish Parliament are made free of charge.

There's also a few new additions to the festival calendar with the first Polish festival at Leith Links in April and a range of performances at the Imaginate Festival from May 26 to June 1.

Theatre-goers will also be spoilt for choice, with shows as diverse as Cinderella on Ice, The Vagina Monologues and Cabaret being performed at the Playhouse.

The Royal Lyceum will stage The Mystery of Irma Vep and My Father, among others, while the Festival Theatre plays host to Blood Brothers and children's favourite Lazy Town Live.

Stars of screen and stage Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart take the lead roles in Waiting for Godot at the King's Theatre from April 13-18.

Music fans will not be disappointed in 2009, either. While Franz Ferdinand's gig at The Picture House next week is sold out, tickets are still available for performances by The View and Reel Big Fish at the Lothian Road venue, as well as Kaiser Chiefs at the Corn Exchange, Oasis at Murrayfield and Simple Minds at the Castle.

The city's festivals and events champion, councillor Steve Cardownie, believes the Capital is set for a special year. He says: "There are events to participate in and events to watch; you'll always find something to do in the city.

"I would have thought if people are on a downer, there is no better place to be than Edinburgh.

"There are 80 events in my diary for this year already. There is something for people to do throughout the year."

TOURISM AND PROPERTY

The city relies on the tourist industry, with thousands of jobs depending on visitors coming and spending their cash. Last year was not a golden year for tourism but the weak pound, causing worries in the financial markets and making holidays abroad for us pricey, could have a silver lining and mean a tourism boom this year.

The fall in the value of the pound represents a 21 per cent saving for people travelling to the UK from the eurozone and 27 per cent for those from the US.

Will Whitehorn, the Edinburgh-born chief executive of space tour firm Virgin Galactic, says rich Americans are showing renewed interest in visiting Scotland and urged businesses to make the most of the favourable exchange rate for countries such as the US, Canada and Japan.

Addressing a hospitality industry lunch in Edinburgh recently, he said: "The Scottish tourist industry is very much doom and gloom at the moment, but this is a huge opportunity."

So, too, are falling house prices for first-time buyers. Existing homeowners might despair at yesterday's news of an eight per cent fall in Scottish house prices but as David Marshall, business analyst at ESPC, says: "The percentage of people buying properties who were first-time buyers had been falling for several years, but there has been some good news in the availability of properties for first-time buyers."

TRAMS

Okay, it's not a topic that brings cheer to many city folk, but 2009 brings a new phase for the works for the 592 million trams project and people may well be able to see some real progress being made.

The first tram tracks on the city's streets for more than 50 years will be laid on Leith Walk in February.

A mock-up tram stop with a full-scale model tram in Princes Street Gardens in March will also give people more of an idea of how the final product will look when the project is completed in 2011.

There's no getting round the fact the tram works will cause significant disruption when Princes Street has to close for eight months, but at least everyone can look forward to the end of the works on the iconic shopping street at the end of November in time for Christmas.

LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

What are you looking forward to most of all in 2009?

Aileen Gray, 26, IT worker, Bruntsfield: "I'm leaving the country! I'm getting away from this cold weather and going to Canada in the summer."

Steven Christie, 20, works at Virgin Active, Stockbridge: "2009 will be a good year for me as I'm finally moving in with my other half."

John Gray, 57, marketing executive, Tollcross: "I'm generally just looking forward to life in Edinburgh. In particular, 2009 means we're a step closer to the trams being completed and a step closer to the roadworks getting sorted out!"

Liz McLaughlin, 50, humanitarian worker for CARE International, Shandon: "To be honest, I don't think the situation in this country is as bad as everyone is making out. I'm just looking forward to getting back to work in Sudan."

Elaine Bell, 61, retired, Chesser: "Firstly, I don't really think that this year will be more depressing than any other, there's lots to look forward to.I'm looking forward to the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth."