Beltane Fire Festival | Edinburgh Calton Hill | Mayqueen Greenman | Scotland

Beltane Fire Festival - Calton Hill is one of Edinburgh's main hills, located right in the city Centre. This is originally called as National Monument. The top of Calton hill is a usually peaceful place to come on any day, with its grassy slopes and panoramic views of the city. Calton Hill is hub of Edinburgh’s festival shows like Festival Fireworks, Hogmanay, and Beltane Fire Festival. Calton Hill is located in central Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. Calton Hill is situated beyond the east end of Princes Street and included in the Edinburgh UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Scotland Temperature:

In Scotland Summer will be start in between April and May. But low level snow fall in April month. Actual summer feel it in May. So Beltane Fire Festival is celebrating for the beginning of summer season held on the night before 1st May.

Before Modern Era:

To the pastoral Celtic peoples of Europe the changing pattern of the seasons was a matter of life and death, and marking these changes key moments in the life of the community. The word Beltane represents the bright fire. This is celebrated for the beginning of summer. Beltane was associated with a variety of practices, from the display of fresh greenery to the baking of Beltane bannocks The most important element, however, was the lighting of Beltane fires on the first of May, which would recall the growing power of the sun and provide an opportunity to cleanse and renew the conditions of a community both humans and their animals that had spent the dark months indoors. In Scotland, the lighting of Beltane fires round which cattle were driven, over which brave souls danced and leapt would survive into modern times, although a process of slow reduce saw towns and villages slowly leave the practice in the nineteenth century. The last Beltane fire recorded in Helmsdale on 1820. Beltane Fire Festival Socity has specilized Photographers to cover the Whole Festival. 

Modern Beltane Fire Festival:

“In 1988 Edinburgh’s Beltane fires were brought to life once more”

The modern Beltane Fire Festival has run since 1988, held on the evening before May 1^st on Edinburgh’s, making this its 30th year. This festival was first started with small groups include Angust Farguhar Edinburgh's Beltane Fire Festival founder, then of the industrial music group, Test Dept and with academic support from the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

This festival was continued to grow, now involves in 300 drummers, fire dancers and performers acted out the scenes around a large bonfire. Beltane Fire festival starting also amazing position. You can view in the below image. Credit:Beltane Fire sociey. This festival was continued to grow, now involves in 300 drummers, fire dancers and performers acted out the scenes around a large bonfire.

Beltane Fire Festival Tradition :

In the festival you can learn little more about the majestic story of lighting of scared Bel fire. The characters in the story are the May Queen at its head, along with White Women, the Green Man and the processional drummer’s moves around the hill.

May Queen:

Amongst a Procession of characters, the May Queen leads her court around the hill. May Queen wear the white dress this indicates the purity and usually crown made of flowers. Flower also highlights the heavily in Scotland’s first of May traditions during the Victorian era.

Green Man:

The unique face of man is enclosing by leaves, branches, flowers and vines is often explained as a symbol of rebirth. A Green Man is a motif commonly seen in architecture, sculptures and carvings. During performance the Green Man is killed as god of winter and reborn as spring to consort with the May Queen. The procession is complete but not yet finished.

And at its end, they light a huge bonfire to welcome the summer, this is one of the most important parts of the Beltane celebration was the lighting of the Beltane fires. The bonfires represented the growing power of the sun from spring to midsummer. All depart to the Bower to dance, eat and celebrate the changing of the seasons as invited couples are hand fasted by the May Queen.

​Beltane Fire Festival

Beltane Fire Festival Ticket Issuance:

In 1988 this festival was started, starting of the festival and up until not too many years there is no ticket fees but only collects the donations. For various reasons includes, this festival is held on Hill so need to control the number of people on the Hill, significant costs associated with staging the event, and the need for a Public Entertainment License, Beltane became a ticketed, paid-for event. Ticket cost of this event is £10 + Bf. Tickets are available at Beltane Fire society as well to buy over the counter at 127 Rose Street in Edinburgh & 239 Argyle Street in Glasgow.

After Festival Once Look At Edinburgh:

It is really one of the world's most gorgeous cities. And the rocky hills that it wraps around provide ever-changing panoramic viewpoints; this is the photographer's paradise. It has National galleries and museums, beaches, top-class shops, national parks and restaurants. You no need far away from the city small enough to get around on foot and to keep bumping into people you know