Edinburgh Retro: 19 fascinating pictures of May Day celebrations over the decades, including washing your face in the dew

Getting up before dawn and climbing up Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill or Blackford Hill may not be everyone’s idea of fun, but traditionally thousands of people, especially young women, would do so each year on May 1, in order to take part in the ancient rite of washing their faces in the dew.

The May dew was seen by the druids as “holy water” and sprinkling it on yourself was meant to bring vitality, beauty and good fortune for the rest of the year.

An Evening News report from 1968 talks of 2,000 people making the early morning pilgrimage up Arthur’s Seat, but another report in 1987 revealed numbers had dwindled to 300 –though that might have been partly due to the rain that day. While they were up Arthur’s Seat, they could also join in a dawn service, traditionally led by the minister of Canongate Kirk, to celebrate May Day.

Holyrood Park also used to be the venue for the annual Edinburgh miners’ gala at the start of May each year. A parade of trade unionists through the streets would be followed by speeches in the park, often from notable figures, followed by a sports day. The tradition of a May Day march continues, though on a smaller scale.

Here are some fascinating pictures from the Evening News archives showing celebrations from years gone by, including Beltane, the ancient Gaelic May Day festival, as well as people washing their faces in the dew and the miners’ galas.