A Scottish photographer has shared "brilliant" photos of a fire festival held in a small coastal town.
Clare Hogan captured the intense photos on January 11 in the midst of the event dating back to at least the 1750s and shared the snaps on Facebook.
Burghead is located approximately eight miles north-west of Elgin on the shores of the Moray Firth. It has a population of under 2,000, but once a year hosts a unique festival that sees crowds gather to bring in the New Year.
While most people in Scotland celebrate New Year on January 1, the people of Burghead also hold a special celebration called the Burning of the Clavie on January 11.
While the event has been held on the same day for hundreds of years, the date was not moved when Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752.
According to the Burghead website, the festival itself sees a flaming Clavie — a barrel full of staves — carried around the town while a large crowd follows behind. Those holding the Clavie traditionally visit the town's three public houses as a sign of good luck for the year ahead.
The Clavie is eventually taken to the nearby Doorie Hill and placed onto a stone altar. After this, it is allowed to burn out and fall down the hill, at which point the still-smouldering embers are eagerly picked up.
Those who are able to retrieve pieces of the Clavie are believed to be blessed with good luck for the year. It is thought that in years gone by, they were kept as charms to ward off witchcraft.
Hogan shared her photos onto the Scotland from the Roadside Facebook group, and it wasn't long before the post received hundreds of likes from fellow users. Many also left comments sharing their thoughts on the snaps.
One wrote: "Very cool, thanks for sharing your photos. Brilliant."
"Been many a time...great night had by many," a second revealed, while a third simply commented: "Great photos!"
Meanwhile, a fourth shared: "Never knew this happened in Scotland, one for the diary."
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