Beltane

The ancient tradition behind the Beltane Fire Festival

The annual ceremony takes place on Edinburgh's Calton Hill

24 Apr 2012

Fire, processions and rituals – all sounds a bit Wicker Man, right? Beltane Fire Festival, however, is not remotely cult-related and Christopher Lee (nor Nicolas Cage, ahem) will not be anywhere in sight at this annual celebration of changing seasons…

Edinburgh's Beltane Fire Festival marks 25th anniversary

Carnival of fire and light with roots in mythology

5 Apr 2012

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Edinburgh’s Beltane festival. Over 12,000 revellers are expected to attend the event on Calton Hill as the Beltane Fire Society marks the passage from Spring into Summer. This Carnival of Fire and Light takes place on…

Edinburgh Samhuinn marks events from pagan calendar

Beltane Fire Society bring fire and drums to Capital's Royal Mile

27 Oct 2010

As a nation with some deeply pagan roots, we love any excuse to set fire to things while bashing away at drums. Thank goodness, then, for the Beltane Fire Society, which not only shares these passions, but manages to foreground them twice a year. This…

Beltane Fire Festival 2010

28 Apr 2010

Another spring comes around; another chance to let your pagan side slide out, as Edinburgh’s strangest, wildest and most wonderful festival mounts Calton Hill for a night of drumming, fire juggling, body paint, ancient Celtic fertility rites and very…

Beltane Fire Festival

16 Apr 2009

What’s that coming over Calton Hill? Yes, it’s the annual Beltane Fire Festival, complete with fire, frolics and lashings of body paint. Celebrating the beginning of the summer season, the unique festival draws inspiration from ancient Gaelic traditions…

All the world’s a stage

15 Sep 2008

Merchant City Festival (25-28 Sep) www.merchantcityfestival.com Located in the heart of old Glasgow, this event locates a programme of film, theatre, comedy, visual arts, street theatre, live music, food and fashion within an area of real…

Hitlist - The best events, talk and sport

23 Apr 2007

Beltane Fire Festival The 20th anniversary of the wild, blazing ritual festival welcoming in the spring. Join the May Queen (pictured), her consort the Green Man, armies of White Women and naked Red Men and around 10,000 revellers up Calton Hill. Ticket…

Beltane Fire Festival

Eternal flame

9 Apr 2007

(Photo: © Two Truths) In 1988, a small group of enthusiasts, led by Angus Farquhar of industrial rockers Test Dept, approached the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University, for funding. They wanted to stage an outdoor performance…