Beltane Fire Festival © Anna Janeczko

Before the Romans divided the seasons into a calendar of 12 months, the Celtic year was marked by four Quarter Days: Beltane, Lughnasadh ('Luna-sa'), Samhuinn ('Sa-wain') and Imbolc. The arrival of each season was reason for a great celebration and Beltane - which marks the coming of spring in a Celtic calendar - was the biggest of the four celebrations. The Beltane Fire Society celebrate each of the four seasons but especially Beltane which is marked with a fire-and-costume spectacular evoking the mystic rites of ancient Britons. It is pretty serious stuff but great to watch, with drummers and dancers in a fire-lit procession around Calton hill, led by the May Queen and her white-clad warrior women. Including a fabulous cast of lurid and flamboyant pagan devils, sprites, goddesses all spiced up by a cacophony of drums and blazing pyrotechnics - this is devilishly different from your average festival. It's a popular event that each year attracts upwards of 8,500 visitors.

Times
Evening-0100.