The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Flame and fortune as Clavie brings good luck to believers
Traditional village ceremony marks old Scots Hogmanay in dramatic style
The Burning of the Clavie is a New Year tradition like no other. Huge flames leapt into the air as a Moray community celebrated the arrival of the new year in their own unique style.
Hoisted aloft by the 20-strong Clavie Crew, led by Clavie King Dan Ralph, the giant torch that forms the centrepiece of Burghead’s ancient tradition dripped fire and lit up the night sky.
Thousands of spectators looked on as the Burning of the Clavie took place in celebration of January 11, the old Scots Hogmanay.
Brochers, as Burghead people are known, know how to celebrate properly and the night began with a gathering at the Clavie King’s house, where guests had a warming tipple.
Then the procession began, with Mr Ralph leading a crew of local men carrying the 100kg barrel filled with wood and tar and mounted on a large post through the village.
A crowd of people followed the Clavie’s journey, with the crew stopping off at various points to hand homeowners pieces of blackened staves.
The event is steeped in superstition, with some villagers believing that receiving these staves from the vessel brings luck for the coming year. Pieces are sent to expatriate Brochers around the world.
Tradition dictates that the first stave is handed to the Station Hotel.
It was Mr Ralph’s 31st year as king and the 70th time he has been involved in the ceremony.
Each of the 20-strong Clavie Crew were Burghead born and bred, as the fiercely traditional festival is kept exactly the same each year.
After being carried around the village, the Clavie was hoisted to the summit of Doorie Hill where it was hammered atop the remnants of an old Pictish Fort.
Members of the crew doused the Clavie in creosote to ensure it burned all night long.
Locals and tourists gasped as it flared and smoke billowed into the sky.
A group of Canadian students said they had seen nothing like it before.
Also among the crowd were those who cannot let a year pass without witnessing the ceremony.
Cathy Robertson, 64, from Huntly, said: “It’s something I try to travel up to every year as it is one of the most fascinating things you can see.”
The event drew to a close as the Clavie was felled by the crew who headed back to the village to celebrate.