What a belting Beltane!

IT was a festival to herald the start of the summer – but in the end it was a bit of a washout.

As around 8000 people gathered on Calton Hill for the climax of last night's Beltane Fire Festival, the heavens opened and a torrential downpour began.

The festival began earlier in the evening than in previous years because of a new feature introduced for its 21st birthday – a Family Beltane.

First started in 1988 to revive ancient Celtic rites to mark the end of winter, it soon came to be known for its uninhibited behaviour, racy performances and semi-nude dancers.

Family Beltane producer Adam Tomkins said: "In ancient times Beltane was a family festival, but today some of it isn't necessarily suitable for children.

"We held the Family Beltane to give the children a flavour of what the main event is like. We started off with face painting and storytelling, and then we did our own mini procession around the hill covering all of the same elements in a real family friendly way."

Family Beltane was well attended for its inaugural year with several dozen families turning out – and the rain held off until later.

The main event also kicked off in fabulous Calton Hill style, with the sun setting between the pillars of the Acropolis.

Some revellers had come from all over the world to witness the festival. Witch Nancy Lilliman, 60, and her son Kevin, 36, travelled from Ontario in Canada especially for the festival.

She said: "I was part of a coven in a place called Hamilton, Ontario, where we had to keep our heritage under wraps.

"In the 1950s attitudes began to change and my coven teacher was one of the first people to teach outside of his family. It's wonderful that these traditions can now be expressed so openly."

The festival – derived from a Gaelic-Celtic word meaning bright or sacred fire – revives pagan deities such as the May Queen, the lusty Red Men and the fertile Green Man in a procession around the hill.

The May Queen emerged at around 10pm to sound of tribal drumming and led the procession from the Acropolis steps, through the "fire arch" and on to the elemental points.

Ironically, as soon as the procession hit the water point the rain began. Thousands of people missed the final fires as they sought to escape the downpour.

Festival Producer Pete Renwick, now in his fourth year in the role, said people take different things from the festival.

He added: "We're really open to people interpreting the festival in their own way. There are some who treat it as a religious practice while to others it's a social occasion.

"It's a celebration of the time of year and it's part of Scotland's heritage. Scottish people have been holding similar festivals here since time immemorial."