Fire festivals and traditions have had a long history in Scotland, with many claiming pagan origins. Certainly, the idea of using fire as a purifying force to drive out or frighten away evil is very old and it commonly manifested itself in ceremonies such as the mid-winter bonfires at Dingwall, Campbeltown, Invergordon and Newtown Stewart.

Most of these fire ceremonies have passed into the darkness of history but a few have survived the pressures of modern living to remind us of an earlier, more superstitious part of our heritage...

The Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony
Stonehaven's Fireball Ceremony is one of the most unique Hogmanay festivals in Scotland. At the strike of midnight, the High street is lit up as the fireball-swingers make their way through the town, swinging their blazing balls around and above their heads. Over sixty swingers, all of whom usually reside in the burgh, march down the High street to the accompaniment of pipes and drums from the Mercat Cross to the harbour where the balls are then thrown into the sea.
 
The origins of the ceremony can be traced back to a 19th-century fisherman's festival although documentary evidence only exists from 1910. However, others suggest that it has much earlier, possibly even pre-Christian origins with the fireballs being used to ward off evil spirits. Even if we only date it from 1910 onwards, the fact that this ceremony has been carried out every Hogmanay since then (except for during the World Wars) makes it an event of note in Scotland and the UK.
 
For many years, it was strictly the preserve of locals and during the 1960s, it went into decline, with fewer and fewer swingers taking part. However, the custom was saved by a few local enthusiasts who encouraged anyone to take part, locally born or not. The enthusiasm for the event that came from these people has helped to enhance the tradition and ensure that it will keep going for many generations to come.

Flambeaux Procession
The small Perthshire village of Comrie is home to the Flambeaux Procession, a fiery spectacular accompanied by music, fancy dress parades and general all round merry-making. On the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay, eight flambeaux or fiery torches begin the procession around the village before being ceremoniously thrown in the River Earn. The origins of the ceremony have long since been lost in time but like many of Scotland's other fire-festivals, it probably has Celtic or pagan origins and was intended to drive out the evil spirits of old year and welcome those of the new.

Biggar's Bonfire
For hundreds of years, the Lanarkshire town of Biggar has welcomed in the new year with a massive bonfire. The bonfire is lit by Biggar's oldest resident, following a torchlit procession through the town. In recent years, traditional music and dancing has been added to the celebrations.