Beltane Fire Festival marks arrival of summer

The May Queen comes to life at the end of the ritual celebrating the arrival of summer

Thousands of people have gathered in Edinburgh to mark the arrival of summer at the annual Beltane Fire Festival.

Revellers flocked to the city's Calton Hill on Wednesday night for the traditional Celtic ritual display celebrating the turning of the seasons.

About 7,000 people were in attendance to see the hill lit up with fire-filled displays soundtracked by thunderous drumming and performers in striking costumes.

The festival has been celebrated in the city on 30 April every year since 1988, but its traditions are thousands of years old.

Performers including acrobats, drummers, dancers, musicians and puppeteers took part in the striking display

Fire plays an important role in the ritual

Elders known as the "Blues" provide space for the community to tell the traditional stories of the May Queen, and the death and rebirth of the Green Man.

The role of May Queen, a mother goddess figure, is usually held by the performer for several years.

The story dictates the transition from winter to summer, which can only happen when the Green Man, an archetypal figure in folklore all over the UK, dies and is reborn again.

He does so in order to shake off the last vestiges of winter.

The May Queen is usually a role that lasts several years

Those taking part in the ritual wear striking costumes during the celebration

The festival included an Aquarium zone

In October, the Samhuinn Fire Festival takes place at Holyrood Park, marking the transition back to the winter months.

Jenny Bloom, chair of the Beltane Fire Society, said: "Another year, another magical Beltane.

"As we roll into summer and carry the May Queen's message of renewal with us, a huge thank you to the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of witnesses who made it all happen."

Performers dance around fire to celebrate the arrival of summer

The fire festival marks the arrival of summer

The festival has been held at Calton Hill in Edinburgh every year since 1988