In Pictures: Beltane fire festival returns to Edinburgh
- Published
Flames and festivities have lit up the Edinburgh skyline, with the return of the Beltane fire festival to the city's Calton Hill.
Hundreds of performers and spectators gathered at the National Monument of Scotland for the traditional celebration from Celtic folklore.
The event on Saturday followed a two year absence, when it was held online during the Covid pandemic.
Beltane celebrates the Celtic tradition of the May Queen and the Green Man, marking the transition from winter to summer
The May Queen leads a spectacular procession of her followers
The night-time festivities are held on Edinburgh's Calton Hill, overlooking the city streets
Performers put on displays of fire, acrobatics, drumming and theatre
The May Queen entices the Green Man so they can rule together over the summer months
The transition from Winter to Summer can only happen when the Green Man dies and is reborn
The modern festival was resurrected by a group of enthusiasts in Edinburgh in 1988
The Beltane celebrations are symbolic of purification, healing and new life
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