Beltane return is a flaming great success

Published on Saturday 1 May 2004 01:00

ORGANISERS of the Beltane Fire Festival said they were delighted today after more than 8000 revellers gathered on Calton Hill to celebrate the onset of spring.

Hundreds of performers led a fire-lit procession around the hill last night.

And despite fears that a last minute lifting of an alcohol ban would cause trouble, there were no arrests and no serious injuries.

It was the first time the event had been held in two years, with the Beltane Fire Society deciding to ticket the event to help pay for the estimated 30,000 cost of staging Europe’s biggest fire festival.

Organiser Nick Fiddes said: "As far as I can tell it has all gone brilliantly. There has been no trouble that I was aware of, I don’t think anyone was hurt and the performers put on a really superb show.

"The atmosphere was brilliant and as so many people came out to enjoy the evening we will be able to hold it again next year."

Drink was only allowed at the festival after a last-minute legal challenge, with solicitors arguing against a ruling by Edinburgh City Council banning alcohol on the grounds it constituted a breach of human rights.

The problems had led many of the festival’s traditional followers to fear that stewarding would be heavy handed, but the security generally stayed in the background.

The society had provided its own stewards, but the most effective crowd control came from the blue men who led the procession.

They ensured the path was clear for the other performers by waving the sometimes over-eager crowd back with birch sticks.

The performance, held to celebrate the blossoming of spring, moved around the hill from the acropolis, through the fire gate and round a series of points representing earth, air water and, of course, fire.

Inspector Alan Duthie of Lothian and Borders Police said there had been no arrests and the event had passed without problems. "We estimate there were around 8000 people here, and I am happy with how it has all gone," he said.

"The event has been very well handled both by the security from Rock Steady and the stewards from the Beltane Fire Society, who all did a marvellous job with the crowd.

"There have been no arrests and we have had no trouble, the crowd were well behaved and really cheerful. We have been able to keep a fairly low profile, simply because it was so well handled."

Last year’s event had to be cancelled after council officials insisted the organisers needed a public entertainment licence. And as well as ticketing this year’s event, the society agreed to impose a strict curfew of 1am, something they had initially resisted.

Many Beltane followers traditionally spent the night on Calton Hill after the event, which was first staged in 1988, to witness the first dawn of spring according to the ancient Celtic calendar.