Edinburgh’s Beltane Fire Festival lit up Edinburgh’s Calton Hill last night (Tuesday, April 30), will hundreds of performers taking part.
The annual event is inspired by a tradtional ancient Gaelic festival which began on the evening before May 1 and marked the beginning of summer.
The festival takes place at Calton Hill, with a propcession starting at the National Monument and spirals anti-clockwise around the path.
It’s led by the May Queen and the Green Man, followed by a cavalcade of characters who are intrinsically linked to them and their journey.
Their destination is punctuated by various groups who either help or hinder their progress towards the Green Man’s fate and the May Queen’s destiny.
After a dramatic stage performance signifying the inception of summer the May Queen and Green Man spark the birth of summer by lighting a huge bonfire.
Here are 13 pictures of this year’s event.
3. Masked dancer
The festival, a modern annual participatory arts event, celebrates the Gaelic May Day festival.
