Beltane: The Ancient Scottish Fire Festival | Celtic Folklore & May Day Traditions Sleep Story

Welcome to Caledonia Sleeps. Tonight we journey deep into one of the oldest and most extraordinary festivals in Scottish history, Beltane, the ancient Gaelic fire festival celebrated on 1st of May. From the extinguishing of every hearth fire on May Eve to the cattle driven between twin bonfires, from the nine-knobbed Beltane bannock to the fairy folk who roamed freely when the veil was at its thinnest, this is a deep exploration of what Beltane meant to the people of the Scottish Highlands & Lowlands.We visit the Cailleach of Glen Lyon, a living ritual in Perthshire that may be the oldest unbroken pagan observance in Scotland. We climb Arthur's Seat with the women of Edinburgh who washed their faces in the May morning dew. We follow the cattle to the summer shielings, sit with the community through suppression and survival, and watch the fires return to Calton Hill in 1988.Perfect for fans of Scottish folklore, Celtic history, Gaelic traditions, Scottish heritage, and anyone with Scottish ancestry looking to connect with the old stories of Scotland. Ideal for sleep, study, or quiet listening by the fireside.Also available with relaxing visuals on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CaledoniaSleeps