WHOEVER heard of a thing called “Hogmanay”?
Apparently not the ScotRail team, who have dismissed light-hearted jibes about one of their social media posts in a way that can only be described as spectacularly joyless.
It began innocently enough, with a New Year-themed post from the nationalised train operator’s social team.
“It’s New Years Eve! Do you have any fun plans?” they wrote. “We’ll be here from 0800 – 2200 to help with any travel queries you have.”
Sadly for ScotRail, the key query users had wasn’t about timetables, tickets, or travel at all.
Oh come on. ScotRail should know better. It’s Hogmanay. 🤦🏼♂️😂
— Austin Sheridan (@AustinRSheridan) December 31, 2025
“Surely it should be ‘It’s Hogmanay!’” one person replied.
Alongside a rolling eye emoji, a second said the same thing.
Former SNP councillor Austin Sheridan then chimed in: “Oh come on. ScotRail should know better. It’s Hogmanay.”
Sheridan included a facepalm and a laughing emoji, but ScotRail were having none of it.
“Or also known as New Years Eve…” the firm replied, alongside a shrugging emoji.
A third user tried again: “Even Auld Year’s Nicht but never New Year’s Eve.”
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Still, ScotRail would not budge. Instead, they wrote: “Must be an age thing.
“I’ll be sticking with New Years Eve today but thanks anyways!”
To suggest that Hogmanay “must be an age thing” is, frankly, astonishing. With a name like “ScotRail”, you might expect at least a passing familiarity with the word – especially given how the company itself has used it plenty of times before.
Sheridan described the response as “a bit rude” and pointed to other ScotRail communications that happily deploy the Scots term without controversy.
“This is how Bannockburn kicked off,” one user quipped in response.
Historians may wish to double-check that.
ScotRail, meanwhile, may want a quiet word with whoever’s running the account.