The Samhuinn Fire Festival returned to Edinburgh last night - a Celtic celebration to mark the beginning of winter.
Usually located at Calton Hill, the annual event was hosted at Holyrood Park for the first time this year and saw hundreds come out to watch the spectacular event that celebrets the transition of summer to winter with ‘glorious bursts of fire and the thudding of drums.’
Led by volunteers from the Beltane Fire Society, the annual extravaganza has taken place in Edinburgh since 1995, originally on the Royal Mile before relocating to Calton Hill where the society have performed their renowned sister event, the Beltane Fire Festival, since 1988.
The society describe the Samhuinn Fire Festival as ‘a modern re-imagining of an ancient Celtic festival’ portraying a story that ‘follows the overthrowing of summer by winter, with a dramatic stand-off between the Summer and Winter Kings.’
The sold out event gave spectators a memorable night that included captivating fire displays, thumping percussion, acrobatics and dance.
Here are 18 incredible pictures of the event.
1. Samhuinn Fire Festival
The Samhuinn Fire Festival marks the transition from summer to winter and was once seen as a time when the boundary between the physical and spirit worlds was thought to weaken, influencing the development of contemporary Halloween customs Photo: Jeff J Mitchell, Getty Images
2. Celtic festival
A performer attends the Samhuinn Fire Festival at Holyrood Park, in Edinburgh Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images
3. Friendly fire
The Celtic event celebrates the changing of the seasons through 'fiery performance, music and dance' Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
4. Captivating storytelling
The event tells the story of the 'overthrowing of summer by winter, with a dramatic stand-off between the Summer and Winter Kings’ Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire