Edinburgh Today

Beltane Fire Festival

2004

2004 Festival

The Beltane Festival celebrates the beginning of the summer in the Celtic calendar.  It consists of processions around the hill between points described as "Fire", "Air", "Earth" and "Water".

Following cancellation of the 2003 Beltane Festival, this year's Festival is expected to go ahead at Calton Hill on 30 April 2004.  It has been proposed that numbers should be limited to 12,000 and that there will be an admission charge of between £2 and £4, available on the night of the event.

However, rising costs and problems in reaching agreement with the City Council have caused the 2003 festival to be cancelled.

[Edinburgh Evening News  18 February 2004, p.4]

Other Fires on Calton Hill

Each December, at the start of Edinburgh's New Year celebrations, a torchlight procession is held.  Burning torches are carried from the Royal Mile, down the Mound and along Princes Street and Waterloo Place to Calton Hill.  The procession follows the replica of a long ship, that is burnt on a bonfire at the top of Calton Hill.

Calton Hill Bonfire

There is also a Dussehra Hindu Fire Festival on Calton hill [when?] to mark the change from summer to winter.